Play It Again Sports Mankato Mn
Joe Brownish / W Fundamental Tribune
MANKATO — The second chances seemed to go Mankato Due east'south way each fourth dimension.
With a pair of rebound goals by Jessica Eykyn in the first period and the game-winner on a deflection by Ava Tibodeau, the top-seeded Cougars secured the Section 2A girls hockey championship. They beat second-seeded Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato 3-2 Thursday at the All Seasons Loonshit.
"I'm really proud of our girls' endeavour, going down 2-0 in the last game, away from dwelling and at an opponent's home rink," said Dragons co-head coach Matt Hogg. "I'chiliad actually proud of coming back and putting ourselves dorsum in the hockey game."
Thursday's championship game was another chance for the Dragons to defeat Mankato Eastward. On Dec. 23, the Cougars left the Litchfield Civic Arena with a 4-3 regular-season victory.
But once once more, Mankato East was able to walk away the winner by a unmarried goal.
"They accept some girls that can really move then we needed to make certain nosotros stayed on them every bit all-time nosotros could," Hogg said. "Sticks on their sticks, sticks on pucks, not letting them take shots."
At the one-minute, 32-second marker of the offset, Eykyn put in the outset goal of the game. After Litchfield/D-C freshman goaltender Janelle Quast made the boot save, Eykyn cached the loose puck to go far ane-0. Then at 7:37, Eykyn struck again, putting another rebound past Quast for the two-goal lead.
Eykyn is second on Mankato East with 27 goals.
"I recollect we were pretty nervous," said Litchfield/D-C co-head autobus Brett Damerow. "We're relatively inexperienced, playing on a big stage like this. There'due south a lot of nerves. No one wants to be down 2-0, but sometimes, that sparks y'all a little bit."
The Cougars kept trying to crash the net in the second, merely the Dragons were able to conform and clear out the 2d-chance opportunities.
"We only got our heads focused in the game," Dragons junior forward Julia Peter said virtually the defensive turnaround. "Nosotros got ourselves together and nosotros were set to go in the second period."
Those second-chance opportunities proved elusive for the Dragons. While out-shooting the Cougars 30-28, many of the squad'due south scoring chances ended after just i shot.
Joe Chocolate-brown / Westward Central Tribune
Ultimately, it was eighth-grader Lydia Schultz putting it on herself to put Litchfield/D-C on the board. Taking the puck in front end of the benches at center water ice, Schultz weaved her fashion into the slot and ripped a wrist shot over Anna Rader's blocker at 13:xiv of the second period for the unassisted goal.
"That was a whole energy boost and confidence boost," Peter said of Schultz's goal. "It just made us so much better. We were buzzing around on the ice. It made the states so much happier and then much more confident."
The Dragons finally got their quality second-hazard endeavour in the third. With a pack of players fighting for the puck in forepart of the net, Peter was able to squeak in the game-tying goal to brand it 2-2 with half-dozen:30 to play.
"Information technology was just a battle," Peter said about her goal. "You just have to become the puck on your stick actually quick and find modest, little chances to put in the net."
Joe Brown / W Central Tribune
Said Hogg, "It was good to run into her get rewarded for all the hard work. She'southward done a lot of grinding and gritty play all year. It was good to see her score a big goal in a big game."
But 49 seconds afterward, the Cougars reclaimed the pb when a shot past McKenzie Keller angled off Tibodeau'southward skate and into the net for the game-winner.
"That third goal, kind of a lucky bounciness off the skate. Could take gone either way," Hogg said. "But that's hockey sometimes; We didn't go the bounce this evening."
With a minute left and the goalie pulled, Litchfield/D-C had 3 face-offs in the offensive zone. And each time, Mankato East got possession of the puck.
Despite the Dragons having a 17-six edge in tertiary-catamenia shots, the Cougars are going to state for the 3rd time in school history (2017, 'xix).
"Information technology was a game full of emotions," Peter said. "Not the way we wanted to end it, but we actually fought through towards the cease and really establish our mojo towards the cease of the game. We used each other and pushed through as best we could."
Joe Brown / West Central Tribune
The Dragons wrap up the season with a 12-14-1 record. While bidding goodbye to four seniors, Damerow credited the team's grit — including a iv-overtime victory over Minnesota River to achieve the 2A finals — for putting the Dragons in position to play for state.
"Nosotros've talked all twelvemonth about existence a gritty grouping of kids; they're a gritty bunch," Damerow said. "Information technology'll be fun to lookout man in the future. We're losing 4 quality kids with the seniors, but the team coming back is a gritty group and hopefully we can see more of the same."
Section 2A championship
Mankato Eastward 3, Litchfield/D-C 2
Litchfield/D-C (12-fourteen-ane) 0 1 1 — 2
Mankato Due east (21-5-i) 2 0 one — 3
FIRST PERIOD – (ane) ME: Jessica Eykyn (McKenzie Keller), 1:32 ... (ii) ME: Eykyn (Emmy Schulz, Ashley Fischer), 7:37.
SECOND Menses – (3) LDC: Lydia Schultz (unassisted), 13:14.
THIRD PERIOD – (4) LDC: Julia Peter (unassisted), 10:30 ... (5) ME: Ava Tibodeau (Keller), 11:19.
GOALIE SAVES/SHOTS – Litchfield/D-C: Janelle Quast 25/28 … Mankato East: Anna Rader 28/30
Joe Brown / West Central Tribune
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Source: https://www.wctrib.com/sports/prep/section-girls-hockey-litchfield-d-c-vs
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