In the opening minutes of the first 17 minute stop time period, Wayzata was the aggressor.  After the Trojans had killed off a penalty called in the first minute, they set up play in the Huskies’ zone and worked the puck well around the perimeter controlling the play for long periods on the game clock.  But when they tried to move into the slot for the better shots, the Trojans couldn’t beat the Andover defense.

A second Wayzata penalty at the 9 minute mark changed the tempo of the game and led to an Andover power play goal.  The Huskies set up in the Wayzata zone and worked a two man low (behind the net) power play, moving the puck between them looking for a shot from the slot.  Andover’s Charlie Schoen found the slot on the right side and beat the Wayzata goalie to put Andover up 1-0.  Luke Kron and Nick Dainty got the assists. 

An Andover hooking penalty at the 6 minute mark set up a Wayzata power play.  The Huskies’ penalty killers and the power play Trojans played their roles well with each frustration the other.  It resulted in no goal with the Trojans keeping the puck in the Huskies’ zone for most of the power play.  It was a fun to watch.  Play of that caliber is not often seen at the peewee level.

The first period ended with Andover leading 1-0.

The two teams battled through 12 minutes of scoreless hockey in the second period until Wayzata drew a penalty followed a minute later by an Andover penalty.  The 4-on-4 resulted in no goal, but the Huskies’ defense failed to recognize the transition to a penalty kill.  The Trojan forwards look advantage and got the goalie down with the puck rebounding to the Trojans’ Rem Pitlick (a YHH top 50 peewee last year). Pitlick lifted the puck over the down goalie into the net.  He tied the game 1-1 with less than 5 minutes left in the second period.

Andover took the lead a minute later when Schoen stoled the puck from the Wayzata defense, soloed into the net, and scored his second goal.  Jaeson Riechel got the assist.  Andover led 2-1.

The Huskies’ lead lasted less than a minute.  Wayzata scored twice in the closing minutes of the second period.

Wayzata caught the Huskies’ defense up ice and turned it into a 3-on-1 rush with Pitlick beating the goalie from the right side.  It was his second goal of the game.  Pitlick had tied the game again 2-2.  Zachary Giesler and Tommy Bergsland got the assists.

With a minute to go in the second period, a hard shot on the Andover net resulted in the goalie bobbling the puck.  Wayzata’s Luke Zejdlik picked the loose puck up and scored punching the puck through the goalie.  Luc Monney got the assist.  Wayzata led 3-2 going into the third period.

Five minutes into the third period, the two teams finally slowed.  They had been playing non-stop hockey for nearly 40 minutes with only a two minute break between periods.  The slower play tended to favor the Trojans (it was the only period that Wayzata had the advantage in shots on goal 8-6).

The Trojans seemed to be in control of the game till the Huskies struck.  It started with a Wayzata interference penalty at the 7 minute mark.  Andover’s power play established possession in the Trojan’s zone and kept working the puck low in the left corner trying to catch the defense high and out of position.

They succeeded and sent a pass low to Nick Dainty along the left end boards.  Dainty took the pass and walked in on the goalie, catching the Trojan’s penalty kill high in the Trojan’s zone.  He banged the puck through the Trojan’s goalie on the left side to tie the game 3-3.  Luke Kron and Wyatt Kaiser got the assists.

After that, Andover started to have success on breaking through the Trojans’ defense in the neutral ice resulting in Huskie rushes on the Trojan’s goal.  Trojan goalie, Bailey Huber, came up with some big stops to keep the tie.

This week, both teams head for the Big Pumpkin Tourney being played this week at the Bloomington Ice Gardens.  Both teams play their first pool games Thursday.  Andover plays Eden Prairie and Wayzata draws Chaska/Chanhassen.  Both teams should do well at the BIG this week.