http://www.stillwatergazette.com/articl ... rts310.txt
Girls hockey: Roseville trips up Ponies in SEC showdown
By STUART GROSKREUTZ
gztsport@acnpapers.com
(Last modified: Wednesday, January 7, 2009 1:08 PM CST)
When it comes to rivalries, the Stillwater and Roseville girls' hockey teams rarely fail to deliver in this competitive series between perennial state powers.
It was Roseville's turn on Tuesday as Jill Stecklein notched the game-winner in overtime as the Raiders pulled out a 3-2 Suburban East Conference victory at the St. Croix Valley Rec Center.
The teams are 6-6-1 in the series over the past six seasons. The Raiders have won the last three games, but Stillwater won three in a row prior to that. Seven of those 13 games have been decided by one goal or less and none of the winning margins in the other six have been by more than two goals.
"It's going to be a one-goal game (with Roseville)," Ponies coach Tony Scheid said. "It's going to be a tight game."
The Ponies (7-1 SEC, 12-3), third in the most recent state rankings, will have another shot at second-ranked Roseville (7-0-1, 15-1-1) when the teams square off in the regular season finale on Feb. 6. Both teams are also expected to challenge for the Section 4AA championship.
"We still control our own destiny (in the SEC) because they have a tie with Woodbury," Scheid said. "If we win out we can win the conference."
The Raiders jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Ahna Logan's first-period goal, but Stillwater answered with two late goals to grab a 2-1 lead.
Callie Dahl evened the score at 1-all with a power play goal at 12:04 of the opening period. The extra skater was the result of Lauren Charpentier getting taken down while charging towards the net. Dahl capitalized after her shot from inside the blue line found its way into the net.
Stillwater than grabbed a 2-1 lead in the final minute of the period as Kristina King ripped a shot into the upper corner. Dahl set up the scoring opportunity by racing down the left side with the puck and drawing two defenders as she dropped the puck for King just inside the blue line.
The Ponies didn't lose their focus after falling behind.
"We usually know we're going to give up a couple of goals so we don't panic," Scheid said. "You want to jump out to a lead but it doesn't always happen that way and the kids did a good job. They had good composure and didn't panic. They always come back."
The Raiders didn't go away in the second period and Jackie Brigl eventually tied the game at 2-all with a power play goal at 14:00. Dani Kerr flipped a puck to Stecklein in front of the net and her shot trickled to the backside where Brigl was waiting to slap it into the net.
Roseville outshot the Ponies 19-10 in the second period and 44-28 in the game.
"I thought in the third period and the overtime we actually had the better of the play," Scheid said. "I thought they did a better job of getting pucks to the net. I don't know that they exactly outplayed us, but I thought they did a better job of throwing the puck to the net."
Stecklein provided the difference with less than two minutes remaining in the extra period as her shot from near the blue line trickled through traffic and slid past goaltender Marah Sobczak and across the line to set off a wild celebration for the Raiders.
"It's a heart-breaker," Ponies coach Tony Scheid said. "We're at home and we got seniors played Roseville for the last time at home. We just got a tough break there. I think Dahl got a piece of it when she tried to block it and it hit something in front of the net. I think Marah got a piece of it, too, and it just trickled over the line.
"I just think it was a typical, hard-fought battle between Roseville and Stillwater. They're our biggest rival and we both came to play and it was just an excellent hockey game. I thought our kids played really well and we just needed to get a break and we didn't get it tonight."
Sobczak finished with 41 saves for the Ponies, who had their 12-game winning streak snapped by Edina in the championship game of a holiday tournament on Saturday.
"Our players did well in a big-game situation and it was a great experience for our team," Scheid said. "We have some young defensemen that had to carry a big load in a big game the first time and they did an excellent job. Sobczak was excellent in the net. She gave us a chance to win it - she always does."
Tuesday's loss was the second in a row for Stillwater. The Ponies have played many of the top teams in the state already this season and Roseville - which joins the Ponies and Pioneers in Section 4AA - is right up there, according to Scheid.
"They're as tough as any team we've played," the coach said. "There's a lot of top teams out there and you've got to come to play every night. They're in our section and we've got a lot of tough teams in our section."
Roseville 1 1 0 1 - 3
Stillwater 2 0 0 0 - 2
First period - 1. Ros, Ahna Logan (Bethany Brausen) 6:55; 1. St, Callie Dahl (Kristina King) pp, 12:04; 2. St, King (Dahl, Lauren Charpentier) 16:35.
Second period - 2. Ros, Jackie Brigl (Jill Stecklein, Dani Kerr) pp, 14:00.
Third period - No scoring.
Overtime - 3. Ros, Stecklein (Logan) 6:12.
Penalties - Ros, 1-2:00; St, 2-4:00.
Saves - Ros (Erika Allen) 5-8-8-2-23; St (Marah Sobczak) 10-17-8-6-41.
Tony Scheid:
It's a heart breaker, we're at home and we got seniors playing Roseville for the last time at home. We just want to win the game and just got a tough break there. We thought we put a lot of pressure on in the third period and the overtime and we had our chances we just couldn't get any breaks.
I think Dahl got a piece of it when she tried to block it and it hit something in front of the net, I think Marah got a piece of it too and it just trickled over the line. I just think it was a typical hard fought battle between Roseville and Stillwater, They’re our biggest rival and we both came to play and it was just an excellent hockey game, up and down. I thought our kids played really well and we just needed to get a break and we didn't get it tonight, but it's early.
They're as tough as any team we've played, there’s a lot of top teams out there and you've got to come play every night. There in our section and we've got a lot of tough teams in our sections, IT's going to be tough to get through our section semi this year.
We usually know we're going to give up a couple of goals so we don't panic. You want to jump out to a lead but it doesn't always happen that way and the kids did a good job, they had good composure, they didn't panic. They always come back.
I thought in the third period and the overtime we actually had the better of the play. I thought they did a better job of getting pucks to the net, I don't know that they exactly outplayed us. I thought they did a better job of throwing the puck to the net.
Absolutely no concerns whatsoever, we've got an excellent team here. The Edina tournament we had all the top teams in AA there, We’re coming through a war in the Edina tournament and they’re coming through the Kapiosia with five A teams.
No, it’s going to be a one-goal, game, it's going to be a tight game. We're proud of our kids, they worked hard. We've got a lot of of improving to do, but we'll do it.
We still control our own destiny because they have a tie with Woodbury. So we're in control right now, we got to win out. IF we win out we can win the conference. Our players did well in a big game situation and it was great experience for our team. WE have some young defensemen that had to carry a big load in a big game the first time and they did an excellent job. Sobczak was excellent in the net, she gave us a chance to win it, she always does, and she was stellar down there. I thought Dahl had a lot o jump tonight, Dahl and Charpentier and Cartony and Salmen, Eder-Zdechlik were all really good, they had a lot of chances to win that game.