The Burnsville Peewee A tourney will be wrapping up with completion of Saturday’s pool games. Two of the three pool championships were at stake in the morning games and by the end of the day, Championship Sunday games were set.

Hastings took the top seed, the Mpls Storm took the #2 seed, Eastview took the #3 seed and Lakeville South won the wild card. Hastings beat Mankato and Roseville beat Burnsville in Friday night games to set up a pool championship game between the Raiders, Hasting’s style, and the Raiders, Roseville style.

Hastings jumped out to a 3-1 lead at the end of the first period in the morning game. Jason Axelrod scored Hastings first two goals. John Tschida scored Roseville’s first goal. Cole Huettl scored Hastings’ third first period goal.

Hastings outscored the Raiders 2-1 in the second period to take a 5-2 lead into the third period. Luke Reifenberger scored the first Hastings goal and Logan Stokke got the second. Roseville’s Tschida got the Raiders second goal.

A Hastings’ penalty halfway through the third period resulted in a Roseville power play goal. Nik Norman scored to cut the Hasting’s lead to 5-3. With six minutes left in the third period, Roseville drew two minor penalties. Hastings had a 5 on 3 power play advantage for over a minute and failed to score. They squandered a good opportunity and it almost cost them the game.

Hastings drew two simultaneous minor penalties a minute after the Roseville penalties ended. Suddenly the game and the pool championship were in jeopardy. But Hastings’s Axelrod took care of business on the ensuing faceoff. He picked the puck up off a face off just outside the Hasting’s zone and soloed through the Roseville defense to score and put Hastings up 6-3. That was Axelrod’s third goal of the game, he got the hat trick.

After Axelrod’s score, Roseville faltered and failed to take advantage of their 5 on 3 power play. The third period ended. Hastings killed the dual penalties. Hastings won the game 6-3, won the pool championship, and won the #1 seed to Sunday’s Championship round.

The Mpls Storm beat Park Cottage Grove 4-3 Saturday evening to win all three pool games, but they did not win enough pool points to overtake Hastings. The Storm took the #2 seed.

Eastview beat Waconia 7-1 and Lakeville South blanked Highland 7-0 in their pool games Saturday morning. Eastview needed to beat Highland or to take four points in the game to win the pool championship Saturday night. Lakeville South needed to beat Waconia to take the wild card seed to Sunday’s championship round. South blanked Waconia 14-0 to take all 13 game points. They ended their pool play with 27 points.

Eastview got their needed four points to take the pool championship in their game with Highland. They ended their pool play tied with Lakeville South with 27 points. The Lightning had lost to Highland 5-4 but won the first and third periods to take the needed four points. Eastview had the head to head tie breaker and was the pool champion.

The Eastview/Highland game was the best game of the day. It was fast paced and had enough twists to make it an emotional roller coaster for the parents and coaches.

With 2:36 left on the game clock in the second period, the Lightning were having a good Saturday. It turned into a tough Saturday with 1:38 left on the clock; in less than 60 seconds,, the Lightning were trailing 5-3. In less than 60 seconds, the Lightning defense, the strength of the team, gave up three goals. Their only consolation was they managed to score.

In the third period, the Lightning found their offense and pounded the Highland net trying to come back to win the game. They scored one goal to win the period, but couldn’t win the game.

Highland goalie Tom Cavanagh had an outstanding third period. Though officially being credited with 6 saves, Cavanagh played extremely well in stopping the Lightning rush after rush. He lead the Highland team to victory
Contrast that with the Lightning goalie, he had to make no stops in the third period.

Still, Eastview won their pool and the #3 seed. Lakeville South won the wild card seed.

The Championship Semifinals will be played at 10:00 tomorrow at the Burnsville Arena. Hastings will play Lakeville South in one game; the Mpls Storm will play Eastview.

Lakeville South played with vengeance Saturday after their opening loss to Eastview Friday. The Cougars played perfect hockey to take 26 out of 26 points. That rarely, if ever, happens in the Burnsville Tourney. The Cougars fell one point short to taking the pool championship.

Hastings will have their hands full with D8 rival Lakeville South. If Eastview’s offense plays the way they did in the third period against Highland, the Mpls Storm will have their hands full with the Lightning. It could be a D8 final at Burnsville this year.

It will be a great championship morning.

In other Burnsville Tourney Saturday games, Farmington beat the Minnetonka Blue 4-3 in their pool game. Minnetonka needed a win to have a chance to get the Wild Card seed to the championship round. They closed an early Farmington lead to a single goal in the third period and had tremendous pressure on the Farmington net at the end of the game. The Tonka Blue will be heard from again before this season is over.

Burnsville and Mankato tangled in their final tourney games. Mankato won 3-1. The Mavericks had to survive a penalty riddled second period to win the game, killing off one 5 on 3 penalty situation and skating more than half the period shorthanded. The Mavericks have improved since their opening game tie with New Prague 1-1.