Dodge hit some tough times over the past month off the ice and on the ice.  They had played and lost to some tough teams (Edina, Hill-Murray, Lakeville North).  But off the ice, a number of the girls' grandfathers had been diagnosed with cancer in that same past month.  It had been effecting their families and their hockey family and what can granddaughters do?  They decided they can be there, to support.  They had to say.  The team choose to wear blue ribbons on their helmets for their grandfathers.

On a sunny January Saturday in Kasson, the crowd filtered in slowly during the jv game and continued to grow as the game progressed.  The boys high school team was playing after the game ended, but the girls team was in a showdown with on the ice with another top ranked team, Breck.  Dodge County is in a battle with Lakeville South and Lakeville North.  Both Lakeville North and Lakeville South won big games Thursday.  Dodge lost Thursday.  One of the three teams will get the #1 seed.  With the season ending this Saturday (January 31st) and seeding by the coaches the day after, Dodge County could not afford to lose another game.  Neither could Breck.  The Mustangs are in a dead heat for Section 5A’s #1 seed with Blake.  They had just beaten Blake in a key Section 5A game.  With Blake losing three games in a row, things had evened in Section 5A seeding.  A loss to Dodge would set the Mustangs back.

Period 1-Scoreless first period

In Dodge County’s 4-2 loss to Hill-Murray just before Christmas, the Wildcats were flat in the opening period and trailed 1-0 going into the second period and eventually lost when the Pioneers scored twice in the opening minutes of the third period.  Against Breck, the Wildcats played well in the opening period.  The Wildcats' top line neutralized Breck’s line of 44’s (as much as they can be neutralized); their second line struggled against Breck’s second line, but kept the Bears off the scoreboard, and the Wildcats' third line out often carried the play and maintained the play in Breck’s zone.

Defensively, Dodge County’s defense led by Katie Robinson had a great game forcing the Breck forwards to the outside on their rushes resulting in a Breck dumping the puck low and trying to set up off passes from the end boards.  Dodge County was trying to move the puck low and use the end boards to set up plays.  Breck defense, led by Anna Zumwinkle, kept the puck moving and disrupting Dodge’s offense.   The Wildcats tended to dominate play by controlling the puck in the first period; Breck tended to attack off of rushes.  The Wildcats outshot the Mustangs 10-6 in the period.  The score was tied 0-0.

Period 2-Breck makes a move

Led by their 44’s line (#4 Grace Zumwinkle, #44-Leah Schwartzman, and #14 Gabby Billing), Breck’s offense dominated play for most of the second period.  The period started slow.  The first four minutes of the period, both teams were tentative.  With thirteen minutes left in the period, Breck went up tempo.  They started trapping the play in Dodge County’s zone and dropping one defense man to double team the breakout pass (rotating the other defense man to inside the center blue line).  The attack worked with added pressure on the Dodge’s goal.  Still, Breck could not beat Dodge County’s goalie Gabby Suhr in the nets.

With the period half gone, Dodge County finally brought pressure on the Mustangs’ net.  Led by Molly Shelton and Magdalyn Wick, the Wildcats were moving the puck and forcing the play low around Breck’s goalie Jenna Brenneman.  With less than seven minutes left in the period, Breck’s Nicole Oppenheimer hit the Mustang’s leading scorer, Grace Zumwinkle, in neutral ice with a pass from Breck’s right faceoff circle.  Zumwinkle beat the Wildcat defense, soloed in on the Dodge County goal, and beat Suhr on the left side to break the scoreless tie.  Breck led 1-0.

With just over one minute remaining in the second period, Breck drew the first penalty of the game for tripping.  An ensuing discussion resulted in a second successive minor penalty being called.  The Breck player would serve four minutes in the penalty box.  Dodge County set up in Breck’s zone after the faceoff and moved the puck well.  They pressured Breck’s goalie Jenna Brenneman. With time running out, the Wildcats’ Molly Shelton picked up the loose puck in the lower left corner of Breck’s zone.  She fired a hard 20 foot shot at Brenneman.  The puck hit Brenneman on her right side and ricocheted off the inside of her arm towards the net.  The puck caught the inside of the right pipe low for the score just as the period ended.  Dodge had tied the game 1-1.

Period 3-A thunder storm in Dodge

It would be another tight game at the start of the third period for the Wildcats, but this third period opened with Dodge on the offensive, a two minute power play.  Things turned tough for Dodge.  Shortly after the Mustangs killed the penalty, Breck launched a furious attack on the Wildcats' goal.  Unlike the Hill-Murray game, this time Dodge County responded immediately and turned up the gain.  The Dodge forwards were literally flying across the ice.  Plays that the Mustangs had stopped in the first period, were being executed.  The Dodge County puck movement had Breck’s defense scrambling.  The Mustang defenders had broken form and were starting to chase the puck.  With less than nine minutes to play, Dodge’s Jacie Hoehn came flying around the back of the Breck goal picking the puck off on a set play along the end boards and made a sharp quick pass to Dana Rasmussen in the slot.  Rasmussen one-timed the pass turning the pass into a hard shot beating Brenneman to break the tie.  Dodge led 2-1 and they were on a roll.

They hammered on the Breck goal over the next five minutes keeping the Mustangs scrambling and just missing twice on getting the insurance goal.  At the four minute mark, Breck was given a hooking penalty.  It took thirty seconds of power play for Dodge to score.  Hoehn took a hard shot from the high slot.  The puck managed to find its way through two Dodge screens and beat Brenneman high to make the score 3-1.  The Dodge pressure continued in the final minutes of the game.  The score ended 3-1 with the Wildcats outshooting the Mustangs 30-15.  The last ten minutes of Dodge County’s play in the third period was simply amazing to watch.

What is next?

Breck knew that Lakeville South beat Blake 4-2, but could not capitalize on Blake’s losing.   The Dodge County loss will hurt the Mustang chances.  But later Saturday, Centennial beat Blake handing the Bears their third straight loss.  That loss put the Mustangs back into the chase for Secition 5A’s #1 seed.  Breck has three regular season games left to play.  They will be favored to beat Totino-Grace and Minneapolis in their next two games, but host the Hornets next Saturday in a must win for Breck. 

The Wildcats hit the road for their last two games.  They play Owatonna at Owatonna in a Section 1AA game they should win; then they head to Eden Prairie to play the #1 ranked Eagles.  The Eagles were upset Saturday by Edina 3-2 in overtime.  The loss was the Eagles first of the season.  With Lakeville North and Lakeville South winning, Dodge County needs to sweep their last two games to have a chance at Section 1AA’s #1 seed.  The Wildcats will be favored to beat Owatonna, but will be underdogs at Eden Prairie.  Win or lose, Eden Prairie should get the #1 seed in Section 2AA over Edina (Edina has seven losses this season), but Eden Prairie is going to be feeling a little uneasy and not want to lose twice at the end of the season.  Another tough game for Dodge.

Snapshot

Last week, YHH saw Lakeville North beat Benilde 2-1; Roseau beat Sartell/Sauk Rapids 6-2, Thief River Falls beat St. Cloud 8-1, and Dodge County beat Breck 3-1.  Here is a quick snapshot of the ranked teams; Lakeville North’s defense is tough; Roseau’s forwards are fast; Thief River Falls plays a consisitent, solid, passing game on offense; Breck's 44 line was back and is as dangerous as ever and their #2 line is stronger; and Dodge County was blazing offensively in the third period of their game against Breck.

One final note

This corner of YHH is a proud grandpa of grandsons and granddaughters and knows what it feels like for grandfathers to get hugs from their granddaughters.  It is a special feeling and becomes something shared between the two that is remembered by both forever.  It is part of being in a family.  At YHH, we wish the Dodge County players the best off the ice.  As to how the Wildcats will do on the ice, that is simple.  If the Wildcats skate as they did in third period against Breck in their games going forward, all their granddads will have to do is to sit back, relax, and enjoy.