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Founder's Cup: ROCH grabs the Cup!

By Tony Scott, 01/10/16, 7:30PM CST

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Tourney MVP Tyler Haskins scores Sunday for the Rockets


Rochester, 2016 Founder's Cup Champs

Sunday's championship game was a battle of the state's top teams. Mound Westonka came into the title game having not lost since November 1 in Moorhead. Rochester has looked great this year - earning the number one seed and our choice to win it all. 

After both teams coasted through the first period, the fireworks got started pretty quick in the second when tourney MVP Tyler Haskins scored to start the period and then set up linemate Drew Lingen on two consecutive goals to give them a 3-0 lead. On the first goal, Haskins held the puck freezing the defender long enough to create a small county in the slot for Lingen to fire the puck into the top shelf. On the next goal, Lingen out hustled his opponent to the puck and fed it to Haskins who gave it right back for Lingen to tap the puck home...two pretty plays!


Carter Oftedahl scores for Mound Sunday

The Whitehawks would battle, just like they did the entire tournament. Carte Oftedahl poked in a loose puck to cut the lead to 3-1 and then Beau Courneya found the score sheet on a wrist shot a minute later. And to cap off the second period fireworks, Haskins gave the Rockets a two goal lead when he sniped a shot top cheese for a 4-2 lead after two periods. 

On the first shift of the period, Oftedahl scored again and the Whitehawks hopes for another win was looking good. For ten minutes in the third, both teams played tug of war -- smashing and crashing for that clincher of a goal. Unsung hero Kyle Doppler finished off the Whitehawks and their streak when he beat the Mound goalie to give Rochester the win.


Drew Lingen scores for Rochester Sunday


Apple Valley, Silver Bracket Champs

Apple Valley won the White Bracket last year after losing to Mankato in the first round. This year with a high seed they got a first round bye and faced Osseo Maple Grove Friday night, where they lost and were sent to the Silver bracket. In the Silver they took down two very good District 2 teams, Mahtomedi and St. Paul on Saturday. 

On Sunday, they faced a very good Alexandria team at the Memorial Building. The Eagles jumped out early on the back of Jack Novak who scored two first period goals and then set up Matt Kochanowski to build a 3-0 lead. Alex fought back when tourney leading scorer Jakob Stender scored on and added a pretty assist to narrow the Eagle lead to 4-2 at the break. While applying pressure to Apple Valley, Alex couldn't seem to break the levy. Apple Valley standout, Jared Wright took over for Novak where he left off and scored the final three goals including a big one with 5:12 to go in the game. Wright got a loose puck, accelerated to the net and beat the Alex goalie to lift them to the hardware for the second straight year.


Jared Wright scores the first of three goals Sunday for Apple Valley


Virginia, White Bracket Champs

Virginia came into the White Bracket final after losing to Forest Lake Friday and beating Greenway and Duluth Denfeld. Their opponent was Dodge County who fell to Osseo Maple Grove Friday and then beat Hibbing and Eveleth on Saturday. 

The game was scheduled to start at 9:45, Virginia must have been told it started at 9:55. Dodge County set a Founder's Cup record by scoring the fastest goal to begin a game when Brody Lamb took the opening face-off to the house and scored six seconds in to give the Wildcats the 1-0. After 11 minutes of hockey -- the Wildcats lead 3-0. 

But after the third Dodge County goal, the Blue Jackets woke up and took over the game. They scored five unanswered goals including two in the final minutes by Seth Hauber to win the White Bracket. The Blue Jackets lost the White Bracket title game last year, this year they avenged it and took home the hardware up 169 to the Queen City.


Virginia celebrates a goal in their comeback win over Dodge County

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