While the Lakeville North Panthers girls’ hockey team didn’t make it to the state tournament in 2015, two seniors on the team received state recognition, Sunday.
Defenseman Taylor Flaherty and goaltender Abby Cooper were both named to the Class 2A All-State Girls’ Hockey Team, selected by the Minnesota Girls Hockey Coaches Association.
Flaherty, a five year member of the varsity squad at Lakeville North, will play Division-I girls’ hockey at The University of North Dakota next season. She has appeared in three state tournaments and was named to the All-Tournament team in 2014.
Cooper started in net for two seasons for the Panthers and was a finalist for the Senior Goalie of the Year Award. This season, she shut out 11 opponents and had the top save percentage in the state at .957 percent.
The Lakeville North net-minder is undetermined on college, but I am told that she is being “actively pursued” by Lake Forest College, a strong Division-III program in Illinois. While she is on the brink of Division-I consideration, Cooper couldn’t play at a Division-II school because no such thing exists in women’s hockey.
Nick Kelly 