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CL/PC 2, Totino-Grace 2 (O.T.)

The Wildcat girls' hockey team trailed the Totino-Grace Eagles 2-0 near the end of the second period Tuesday, January 23 at Chisago Lakes Arena. A goal by junior Ashley Elumba with 20 seconds left in the second period pulled the Wildcats to within 2-1. Junior Ariel Novak scored in the third period to give the Wildcats a 2-2 overtime tie.

The Eagles led 1-0 after the first period and extended their lead to 2-0 with four minutes left in the second. But, with the period nearly over, senior Morgan Baumgard sent a nice rinkwide pass to Elumba in the Wildcat end of the ice. Elumba drove down the left side and skated past a defender at the Eagle blue line. Her wristshot from the left circle went into the upper right corner of the net to pull the Wildcats within one.

On a power play six minutes into the second period, Novak took a pass from Baumgard and carried it toward the Eagle zone. She crossed the blue line unimpeded. She shot from the high slot and hit the lower left hand corner of the net to tie the game at 2-2.

The Wildcats dominated the overtime, outshooting the Eagles 7 to 1. and survived a scare at the end. The Eagles won a face-off in the Wildcat zone with nine seconds left. They worked the puck to a wide open player at the front of the net. She shot, but Erica Pitzen came up with a big save to end the game and preserve the 2-2 tie.

"We got good goaltending from Erica," said Wildcats head coach Jason Mahlen, "and we skated hard the whole game. This was a solid all-around team effort. We played a lot better than the first time we played them."

SCORING SUMMARY

Totino Grace 1 1 0 0-2

Chisago Lakes 0 1 1 0-2

First Period

TG 1 Doyle (Bennek, Eidem) 5:00

Second Period

TG 2 Meyers (unassisted) 13:09; CL 1 Elumba (Baumgard) 16:40

Third Period

CL 2 Novak (Baumgard) (pp) 6:03

Saves: CL Pitzen 29, TG Parsons 25

Chisago Lakes/Pine City 2,

St. Francis/North Branch 1

Two goals by senior Morgan Baumgard in a two-minute span of the third period led the Wildcats to a 2-1 victory over St. Francis/North Branch Friday, January 26 at East Bethel Ice Arena.

SFNB scored its only goal with just over 30 seconds remaining in the first period. The Wildcats finally broke through at the 6:13 mark of the third period. Baumgard put in a rebound of a shot from the point to tie the game at one goal apiece. Senior Rhiannon Sauter and junior Ariel Novak got assists on the play.

The Wildcats took the lead two minutes later as Sam Lorr and Novak worked the puck to Baumgard in the Wildcat zone. She drove down the right side and ripped a slapshot that found the lower left corner to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.

"That shot had some heat on it," said Wildcat head coach Jason Mahlen. "The goalie didn't have a chance. Morgan played a very strong game." The Wildcats held off SFNB to win 2-1.

SCORING SUMMARY

Chisago Lakes 0 0 2-2

St. Francis 1 0 0-1

First Period

SF 1 Bliskowski (unassisted) 16:27

Second Period

No scoring

Third Period

CL 1 Baumgard (Sauter, Novak) 6:13; CL 2 Baumgard (S. Lorr, Novak) 8:15

Saves: CL Pitzen 16, SF Dressel 24

CL/PC 2, Proctor 2 (O.T.)

Kate Boynton's goal with under two minutes remaining tied the game. The Wildcats dominated overtime but couldn't manage to slip one past the solid Proctor Mirage goalie and had to settle for a 2-2 tie Saturday, January 27 at Chisago Lakes Arena.

The Wildcats started off sluggishly. Proctor dominated the game, but only led 1-0 five minutes into the second period. The Wildcats tied it on a heads-up play by one of their seniors. A Mirage player tripped Morgan Baumgard as she attempted to play the puck in front of the Mirage net. The Mirage goalie relaxed, likely assuming a penalty would be called. As she fell, Baumgard flipped the puck toward the net. The goalie never moved as the puck slid by her, tying the game 1-1.

Baumgard has had something to do with each of the Wildcats' five goals over the past three games, tallying three goals and two assists.

The Mirage got the lead back five minutes later as a Wildcat defender fell down and the Mirage scored on a breakaway. The Wildcats turned up the heat. With less than two minutes to go, the Wildcats pulled goalie Erica Pitzen for an extra attacker. The strategy paid off. In a furious scramble, senior Kate Boynton scored with 90 seconds left to tie the game at 2-2. Junior Ariel Novak and senior Rhiannon Sauter got assists on the play.

The Wildcats dominated the overtime, out shooting the Mirage 9-2. Sauter had two breakaways and got off great shots both times, but the Mirage goalie made excellent saves and the final score remained 2-2.

"We're really skating hard now," said Wildcat head coach Jason Mahlen. "And we're backchecking, forechecking, battling for the puck and doing the little things right. It seems like the hard work is starting to pay off for the girls. Momentum is shifting our way. And Erica, our goalie, has really come into her own over the last three games. She's playing good hockey and has come up with a lot of quality saves."

SCORING SUMMARY

Proctor 1 1 0 0-2

Chisago Lakes 0 1 1 0-2

First Period

PR 1 Weiss (Baron) (4-on-4) 6:25

Second Period

CL 1 Baumgard (unassisted) (sh) 5:12; PR 2 Gilbert (Edgerton, Stauber) 9:59

Third Period

CL 2 Boynton (Novak, Sauter) (pp) 15:25

Saves: CL Pitzen 31, PR Coyle 24

The Wildcats (8-14-2 overall, 6-6-1 conference) were scheduled to play their final regular season game Tuesday, January 30 at St. Louis Park. The section seeding meeting took place Wednesday, Janaury 31 and the Wildcats will likely play their first section playoff game Thursday, February 8, with the site and opponent to be determined.

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