No goals were scored in the first period.  Northwood developed some scoring threats especially early in the period.  They would get the puck into the Whites’ zone, but could not move the puck off the boards, especially the end boards successfully.  Their passes in the offensive zone (or when checked, loose pucks) led to White team breakouts where the White forwards consistently beat the Blue in neutral ice.

In the opening period, the Whites forwards were flying and had numerous close-in shots of those breakouts, developing off of 3-on-2 or 2-on-1 rushes.  The White rushes were successful in getting tough shots on the net forcing Pelino to make some great stops.  Their success was also forcing Northwood’s center to play higher in White’s zone in a Blue attempt to slow the play.  That helped but that weakened their attack low and took some of the Blue’s power game away.

As the period progressed, the Northwood defense in the Blue’s zone started to slow and watch the puck instead of playing the man. The first period ended in a 0-0 tie.

The White team broke the ice, scoring the first goal of the game in the first 30 seconds play in the second period.

The Northwood defense was split by a rush in the center blue line area of the Blue’s zone.  Dylan Malmquist/Edina, the first White player into the Blue’s zone was taken out by the defense, but Malmquist slid the puck ahead of him through the defenders and opened a “hole” like a lead blocker on an off-tackle play.  The puck slid just enough for the trailing Mitch Slattery/Hill-Murray to knock the puck forward, gain control and beat Pelino to put the White team up 1-0.  Malmquist got the assist.

Northwood School put pressure on the Whites’ net in the minutes after the first goal but it led to a major 5 minute penalty for boarding being called on the Blue.

Four the next four minutes of play, Northwood’s defense hustled in their zone to keep the White forwards from scoring.  And they succeeded, but they did not get a good set of changes forcing the bulk of the defensive play on a few defenders.  They were gambling on being able to play with the White team in the third period.

In the fourth minute of the major, the Blue’s fortunes began to change.  The Minnesota team picked up two penalties in less than one minute.  The Whites major power play became a 4-on-4, followed by twenty seconds of 3-on-4, a minute of 3-on-5, and a minute of 4-on-5.  Through all these penalty kill situations, the White team schooled the preps.

Northwood never got their power play going, the Whites had pressure at times in the Blues’ zone and at other times simply cleared the puck.  Northwood did not generate a good attack on the White’s net on the power play.  Often they could not get the puck past the neutral zone.

Still leading 1-0, the White team was in control with time running out in the second period until their defense gave up a dumb (because it was a needless move that did not affect the play) penalty.  That put the spark back into the Blue.  The Blue scored just as the Minnesota penalty was ending.

Northwood School had established control on the power play in the White zone. Two Northwood forwards battled for the puck with two White defenders at the top of the crease with Whites’ goalie, Driscoll, poised to cover up a loose puck.  When the puck rolled loose, Driscoll’s cover attempt failed leaving him prone on the ice as the batted puck rolled left to Northwood’s Artem Efimov-Barakov/Moscow, Russia.

Efimov-Barakov had three quick shots trying to beat the prone Driscoll by lifting the puck over his leg pad.  He succeeded on the third shot to tie the game 1-1 with under a minute to play in the second period.  The goal was unassisted.

“Holy goal” muttered a fan, “after all its Sunday”.

Less than two minutes into the final period, the Whites’ Alex Copa broke down the Northwood defense at the Northwood’s blue line and fired a hard shot on Blue goalie Pelino.  Pelino made the big stop, sending the rebound hard right to a breaking Tommy Novak.  Novak buried the puck with a one-timer from the right face off circle.

It happened fast.  After the White goal, the puck was left rebounding in the net surrounded only by Northwood players.  That goal drained the Blue.  Now trailing 2-1, they had two power play opportunities, one right after another that left the White skating 5-on-4 for four minutes from the 12 to the 8 minute mark of the third period.  The Northwood team couldn’t score.  Their attack had slowed just enough that they had difficulty establishing their power play in those four minutes.

The game ended with the Minnesota White team being crowned this year’s CCM IIT tourney’s champs.  It was a good game to watch.  For a team that was assembled only four days before the tourney, the White team played very well, especially the forwards.  For Northwoods, it was their second loss of the young season (record is now 6-2).  They had a good CCM IIT tournament beating Shattuck’s Prep and Hill Academy to take second place.

The Elite season ends; bring on the high schoolers.  For those who don’t know, the first round of high school games will be played Thursday, November 21.