Jake Oettinger played in the net for the Panthers last night.  The 6’3” ninth grader is playing in his first high school season with the Panthers.  Oettinger was a three year peewee A goalie (and a three year top peewee A YHH pick) for Farmington and last season played for Farmington’s bantam A’s.  Last night he was very much at home in the Panther net against the top ranked Hill-Murray Pioneers making 34 stops.  Oettinger played a great game, but he had a strong supporting cast in the Panther defensemen.

As YHH pointed previously in the battle of the two Lakeville teams posted earlier this month, the Lakeville North defense plays a tough game.  It was their collective play that led to the Panthers win over South and that was exemplified by their play in a key penalty kill in third period of last night’s game with the Hill.  Six minutes into the third period and leading 3-0, a Panther was called for holding.  The shots on goal at that time read 30-25.

The top ranked team in the state, Hill-Murray, established possession in the Lakeville zone and controlled the puck for most of the two minute power play inside the Panther’s zone.  They worked some great plays including a neat weak side timing play that just missed because a Lakeville forward got his stick in front of the Pioneer shooter who let the puck go less than a foot from the right pipe and a wide open net.  The puck bounced into the right corner of the rink.  When the Hill-Murray’s power play had ended, the shots on goal still read 30-25.  By YHH count, it was correct.  After two minutes of controlling the puck and launching numerous shots at the Panther net, none reached the goalie.

Period 1

The first period play opened with pressure from Lakeville North and ended with Hill-Murray pressure on the Panther’s goal being slowed by a series of penalties on both teams.  Instead of the Pioneers continuing pressure with 5-on-5, the teams skated 4-on-4 and 4-on-3 game situations on the Ames Arena’s Olympic sized ice with little effect.  For most of the opening period, both teams played their wings back on the attack, sending one man low on the opponents' zone chasing the puck and trying to turn the puck and establish control in their opponents’ zone.  It led to a lot of play in neutral ice with the puck being dumped into the opponent’s zone.

The Poehling brothers line (Jack, Ryan, and Nick) were a constant threat on the ice, moving the puck well; the Hill’s line led by Tyler Funk, Zack Mills, and Joey Anderson countered well for the Pioneers.  The first period ended in a 0-0 tie, but the second period would open with the Pioneers on the power play.  One of the bright spots on the ice for Hill-Murray was Jacob Olson.  The 6’3” defenseman dominated play in the corners.

Period 2

On a complex power play (4-on-3 then 5-on-3 then 5-on4) at the opening of the second period, Hill-Murray failed to sustain an attack in the Lakeville North zone.  Once the game returned to 5-on-5, it opened up and developed a nice flow with both teams moving the puck.  North benefitted from the play of the Poehling line, the Poehlings found ways to constantly move the puck into the Pioneers’ zone.  More importantly, they could move the puck high away from the corners forcing the Pioneer to defend center ice.  The Funk line remained effective, carrying the attack, but couldn’t beat the North defense once inside the Panthers’ zone.  North’s line of Tristen Hazlett, Henry Enebak, and Max Johnson started to develop pressure inside the Hill’s zone as the period moved on.

Seven minutes into the period, the Poehling line scored.  On a play that looked well defended by the Pioneers, Jack Poehling skating in the right corner, hit brother Nick on a pass.  Nick Poehling was coming down the left slot and he buried the puck beating the Hill’s goalie 6’2” Sean Wendlandt's save attempt.  The Panther led 1-0.  After the score, the Pioneers came back with a fierce attack.  Oettinger was tested over the next two minutes and was forced to make some point blank stops from the sweet spot in the slot.  It was a Hill-Murray interference penalty at the 5 minute mark that ended the Pioneer pressure.

The Hill’s defense did a great job killing the penalty, but gave up the second goal transitioning back to normal play.  When the penalty ended and just as the North player came out of the penalty box, the Pioneer defense seemed to relax just for a moment.  That allowed Hazlett to score.  The Panther forward took the puck off the left end boards and skated untouched to the edge of the left crease and simply popped the puck over Wendlandt’s left shoulder.  The Panthers led 2-0.  In the second period, Oettinger’s play in the net and the play of the Poehling line had given the Panthers a 2-0 lead going into the third period.

Period Three

The Poehling line saw three shifts in the first 5 minutes of the third period and they pushed the action into the Pioneer’s zone.  Out of frustration, the Hill drew a penalty creating a Panther power play.  Forty seconds later, North scored.  The Panthers established control in the North’s zone and moved the puck around the perimeter to Jack McNeely.  McNeely fired a hard shot from the center blue line that hit Wendlandt’s right pad and bounced right to Hazlett.  Hazlett put the rebound into the net beating Wendlandt on the short side.  Lakeville North led 3-0.  North’s Max Johnson got his second assist in the game (he assisted Hazlett on his first goal).

Last year, North was the talk of tourney as the only team at the Xcel with a losing record.  The talk was derisive in tone.  Last year, they were seeded #8 and lost to Edina 9-3 in the opening round.  In 2011, as Section 1AA champs, they were seeded #8 again and lost 5-0 to #1 seeded Eden Prairie; and in 2010, the #8 seeded North lost 6-1 to #1 seeded Minnetonka.  The Panthers have that history to overcome.  

Perhaps the seniors on this year’s Panther team have had enough of the being written down somewhat automatically by tourney seeding committees as the #8 seed.  After last night’s win over the Pioneers, they should have changed the committee’s view.  The Panthers are not there yet, they still have some tough teams to play including Eagan twice, Rochester Century, Eastview, and Duluth East.  On February 1, they travel a short distance south to take on their rivals Lakeville South in a game that has produced upsets.  Still, state tourney seeding committee members, who may have already put the Panthers down as this year’s Section 1AA champs and seeded them early as #8; they should have used a pencil.