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PREP GIRLS HOCKEY: Strong start carries Tigers past Bulldogs, 4-1

MARSHALL – Showing dominance on the offensive end right away for the Marshall girls hockey team was the start they needed to come out with a 4-1 win over the Minnesota River Bulldogs in their regular season finale Saturday afternoon. From goals being scored just seconds into the first period to a scoreless second period, the Tigers fought until the very end and showed that they can hold their own on the ice.

A big thing the Tigers recently have been working on is coming together more as a team and coach Deanna Suby was happy with what she saw on the ice and looks forward to bringing that to the section playoffs.

“Teamwork is a big thing that we have been working on now later in the season. The mindset of ‘we’ instead of ‘I’,” said Suby. “The girls are really working as a team, knowing where each other are and just playing our game. Our second half of our season is going really well, and the girls have been clicking together. Going into the section playoffs we need to keep teamwork in mind and keep our stamina up.”

Holding back was the last thing that the Tigers did as they started the first period with an unassisted goal just 10 seconds in from Courtney Mauch putting the Tigers up 1-0. Marshall held its dominance on the ice as they kept the puck on its offensive end for a majority of the period which led to another Tiger goal from Rachel VanKeulen on the assist from Logan Sherman. VanKeulen’s goal put the Tigers up with a quick 2-0 lead with 13:33 remaining in the first period. Marshall’s scoring opportunities didn’t end there as the Bulldogs found themselves with a penalty giving the Tigers the advantage on the ice. On the power play, VanKeulen put her second goal of the night in on the assist from the Mauch sisters, Courtney and Sydney. The Tigers would hold their 3-0 lead until the Bulldogs found the back of the net for the first time, putting a goal on the board but they still trailed the Tigers 3-1 with 6:09 left on the clock. Marshall’s tough defense lead them to holding on to its 3-1 lead to end the first.

The Tigers slowed it down going into the second period offensively, as there were a few opportunities that the Tigers saw to score a goal but couldn’t find the connection they were looking for. The drag on offense for Marshall didn’t mirror what its was doing on the defensive end of things, with freshman goalie Emma Klenken making big saves for the Tigers.

More tough and aggressive defense for the Tigers was key during the period but they found themselves with their first penalty of the night with 4:33 remaining in the period, giving the Bulldogs a chance to use the power play to their advantage but couldn’t make it work. The Tigers finished the period strong and went into the third period with a 3-1 lead over the Bulldogs.

Going into the third period for the Tigers meant more opportunities for them to grow their lead even more but much like the second period the third started off reserved for Marshall. The Tigers were finding multiple opportunities to score but couldn’t find the connection. The Tigers had a big opportunity once again as the Bulldogs were hit with a penalty but couldn’t find their groove to make the right shot. The Tigers still showed signs of dominance on offense as they held the puck on their end for a majority of the period but went scoreless until the last 47 seconds of the game when Kaitlyn Timm found one last goal for the Tigers on the assist from Emelia Barker.

Marshall outshot Minnesota River 41-18 on the game. Klenken earned the victory in net, stopping 17 shots.

Going into the section playoffs, VanKeulen wants the girls to stay positive and continue to work hard to achieve the goals they want to achieve.

“We need to know that we need to be on every game and every shift,” said VanKeulen. “We can’t take anything lightly when it comes to the teams we play and the plays we run. We need to go 100 percent the entire time on the ice.”

The Tigers will await the release of the Section 3A playoff tournament bracket as the tournament begins on Thursday.

Minnesota River 1 0 0 — 1

Marshall 3 0 1 — 4

First Period

SCORING

Marshall: C. Mauch, 0:10 (unassisted).

Marshall: VanKeulen, 3:27 (Sherman).

Marshall: VanKeulen, 8:21 (C. Mauch, S. Mauch).

Minnesota River: Doherty-Bohn, 10:51 (unassisted).

PENALTIES

Minnesota River: Seaver, 7:08 (Hooking, 2 min).

Minnesota River: Overgaard, 13:10 (Body Checking, 2 min).

Second Period

SCORING

No scoring.

PENALTIES

Marshall: Sherman, 12:04 (Holding, 2 min).

Third Period

SCORING

Marshall: Timm, 16:13 (Barker).

PENALTIES

Minnesota River: Wenner, 11:17 (Holding 2 min).

Marshall: VanKeulen, 12:42 (Tripping, 2 min).

SHOTS ON GOAL: Marshall 41; Minnesota River 18.

SAVES: Marshall 17; Minnesota River 37.

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