February 14
[Why yes, we also found it “premature” that the program already had the Cards facing Fergus Falls in the section final? 😉 That could have been bulletin board material for Northern Lakes! The Lightning, incidentally, are a cooperative of Aitkin, Crosby-Ironton, Pequot Lakes, and Pine River-Backus, and they came in with an impressive 20-6 record.]
[So the Super and I were all set to reprise our usual anniversary date with a romantic evening at the RCC for the girls’ hockey section semi-finals. But the “bug” that’s been going around struck her the night before and placed her on the injured reserve list. She ordered up a large container of Hunan’s hot and sour soup on a take out order, and I “dated” classmate Brad Anderson for the game.]
[The Cards came in as healthy as they’ve been all year. Starting goalie Sarah Finley was back after a sprained ankle caused her to miss three weeks; and McKenzie Revering appeared ready to take on several shifts after missing the regular season recovering from ACL surgery. The first time the two senior captains would be on the ice together this year.]
[Roger Riley assured victory by singing the National Anthem . . . over the years, the team has had a very good record when he has done so.]
[And we’re off and skating with the line of Calley Richardson (19), Kristin Trosvig (15), and McKenna Ellingson (24).]
[For the first half of the 1st period, it looked like we were going to be in for a real tussle. The Lightning kept us bottled up in our own zone.]
[Here’s Mayson Toft (14), Anna Doherty (7), Alexis Heckert (20), and Josie Minnerath (6).]
[I thought Mayson had a very solid game. As a freshman, she probably really enjoys being paired on defense with Rev.]
[Find the puck, you’ll find Calley – here with Kristin and Rev (29).]
[The Calley, Kristin, McKenna line got stronger and stronger as the game went on to the extent that whenever they were on the ice, the puck stayed in the Lightning’s zone.]
[Alexis Heckert (20) would join the scoring brigade in period 2.]
[GOOAAALLL! After the Cards were outplayed early, Calley got the puck and stickhandled through four Lightning defenders and scored. Just the jump start the team needed.]
[The Cards took over the game from here – the Lightning got no more shots on goal in the period after Calley scored. Here Allison O’Kane (36) and Marki Oberg (10) lead an attack.]
[Marki swoops by an interested Cardinal bench.]
[Rev pulled regular shifts and took several shots.]
[She didn’t quite finish this one but the time will come. She had an assist in the game.]
[Calley finds the puck again as Alexis stands by.]
[With Megan Pesta (8) and Kristin on the ice together, we were in the midst of a line change.]
[Rev]
[Marki and Rev battle along the boards.]
[Calley’s down . . . but she popped back up immediately.]
[McKenna looks like she just fired a shot.]
[More offense from the Cards . . . ]
[After a faceoff in the Ligthning’s zone . . . ]
[Kristin circles out front . . . ]
[And shoots . . . ]
[And scores!!]
[The Cards were now up 2 – 0 with about a minute left in the period.]
[After another foray into the Lightning zone, the Cards got caught too far up ice. The Lightning snuck behind them for a breakaway goal with less than a minute left – a real Cardinal sin, so to speak.]
[After one]
[The Cards must have been upset about giving up that goal at the end of the period.]
[They came out buzzing to start the 2nd period.]
[Less than 3 minutes in, first Alexis scored . . . ]
[Then another rush . . . ]
[Megan, Hadlee Hansen (18) and Marki keep the puck in . . . ]
[McKenna shoots . . . ]
[And scores!! The game was unofficially over then . . . ]
[Alexis, et al]
[Anna and Josie]
[Megan]
[Rev, Kristin, and McKenna in on goal again . . . ]
[A scrum around the goal . . . this happened a lot.]
[But the puck sneaks out the back door . . . ]
[Alexis on the draw with Mayson on point.]
[Alexis at the door step.]
[Anna on the move. Four more years to watch her and Marki.]
[Kristin carries into the zone.]
[With Calley trailing.]
[Kristin shoots with Calley screening the goalie.]
[Then the scuffle.]
[Mayson tagging a Lightning.]
[McKenna tries a backhander.]
[But a nice stop by the goalie.]
[Oooh, the puck is hiding in plain sight.]
[Kristin shoots . . . ]
[And then Josie scored!]
[The Cards came back with more pressure immediately. Calley is joined by Olivia Kopp (40).]
[Calley is point blank.]
[@#$%^& puck!]
[Kristin swoops in . . . and scores!]
[The Cards were flying – the only thing in doubt was the final score.]
[The 3rd period began with more of the same.
[Alexis one on four . . . ]
[Clears some space . . . ]
[Then Josie and Anna takeover . . . ]
[Then Megan scored . . .]
[Then McKenna scored . . . ]
[Then Marki scored . . . ]
[Then McKenna completed a hat trick!]
[The boys in the booth look dumfounded.]
[Then Kristin got her hat trick. The whole evening was quite an offensive explosion.]
[The game should give the team a lot of confidence as they take on Fergus for the section championship . . . TONIGHT!]
Why is a puck called a puck? Because dirty little bastard was taken. ~ Martin Brodeur
alexandriacardinals 