Period One

Rosemount has always started fast in their games, last night was no different.  Both teams opened play physically, trying to use size and strength especially along the boards to move the puck.  As a result neither team could establish puck control in their opponent’s zone.  For the first half of the opening period, Rosemount would attack and Eagan would counterattack.

Halfway through the second period, Rosemount started to dominate the game by controlling the puck in Eagan’s half of the ice.  Eagan could get the puck past their blue line, but their wings couldn’t move the puck past the Irish defense.  It resulted in two Irish scores.

The first score at the 6 minute mark, came off a partially screened shot from the blue line.  The Irish’s Mason Campbell fired the puck from the left side.  The puck dropped to the ice as it came through the screen and caught the inside of the right post.  Wildcats led 1-0.  Luke Levandowski and Broten Sabo got the assists.

Two minutes later, Tyler Linnerooth beat the Wildcats’ defense along the right boards and scored from the right faceoff circle unassisted to put the Irish up 2-0.  The Wildcats hung on to keep the Irish off the boards for the rest of the first period.  Rosemount outshot Eagan 10-1 in the first period.

Period Two

Rosemount continued to pressure Eagan in the opening minutes of the second period until they drew two successive penalties, the first (tripping) coming with a little under 10 minutes left in the second period.  The second was a boarding penalty and the Irish player drew a 2+10 penalty costing the Irish their fairplay point.  Eagan now had a 5-on-3 advantage for 90 seconds.

The Irish defense kept the Wildcats power play out of sync for most of the 90 seconds until Eagan defenseman Jack Mason found Ethan White in the lower left faceoff circle.  White took the pass, skated towards the net, and fired the puck into the lower right side of the net.  Mason got the assist.  Eagan had cut the lead to 2-1 and still had a 5-on-4 power play advantage for another 30 seconds.

Rosemount struck back, taking the center faceoff after Eagan’s second score and driving the Wildcats back into the Eagan zone and setting up as if the Irish were on the power play.  The aggressive play paid off with a score.  Eagan’s defense mishandled the puck and the Irish’s Linnerooth took advantage, scoring his second goal of the game, to put Rosemount up 3-1.  It was a shorthanded goal.  Noah Berg got the assist.

After Berg's goal, both teams returned to their up and down game, Rosemount attacking and Eagan counter attacking.  But as the period ended, the Wildcats were starting to control the game.  Each team had 8 shots on goal in the second period.

Period Three

Eagan scored in the opening minute of the third period on a great play.  It started with Eagan’s Keegan Johnson rushing the puck into the Irish zone along the left boards.  Johnson cut towards the Irish net drawing the goal tender to him and flipped a pass to an open area on the right side of the crease.  Johnson had faith that Ethan White breaking down the slot on the left side could get to the puck while beating the defense.  He did.  White controlled the puck, went for the net, and scored putting the puck past the goalie on the short side to cut the Irish lead to 3-2.  Johnson and Louie Reichenbach got the assists.

A minute later, Rosemount drew a tripping penalty.  The Irish kept the Wildcat power play in check for most of the two minutes; but with the penalty about to expire, the Wildcats took a shot from the right point that was blocked by a Rosemount defender at the lower edge of the faceoff circle onto the stick of Reichenbach.  Reichenbach took one stride to the Rosemount net and buried the puck with a hard shot on the short side to tie the game 3-3.

Eagan had to dodge one more bullet when late in the third period a series of penalties resulted in a 4-on-3 and a 5-on-3 Irish advantage for just over a minute of play.  The Wildcat defense held them off the scoreboard.  At the end of the game, Eagan was pressuring the Irish in the Rosemount zone, but could not score.  The game ended in a 3-3 tie.

What is Next?

District 8 play concludes on Sunday.  The D8 playoff format this season returns to a single double elimination tourney format they have used in the past.  Both AA and A teams will play in the same tourney which features three first round games this year which are single elimination games.  The AA team that advances the furthest in the playoff will get D8’s seed to the AA regionals.  The three of the four A teams that advance the furthest will go to the Peewee A East Regional.  This format emphasizes how the teams finish in regular season play; it is critical since seeding is based on where a team finishes in regular season standings.  Currently all D8 teams can move up or down depending of the outcome of the remaining games.

The top two teams are Rosemount AA and Sibley AA.  No other D8 team can catch them, but the #1 seed is still up for grabs.  The team with the #1 seed will have the easiest path to take D8’s one and only AA seed to a “to be determined” regional.  Rosemount (with 40 points) needs two points in their Saturday game with Hastings to beat Sibley (with 42 points).  The Irish hold the tie breaker (head to head).  Sibley has finished their D8 season with their win over Park/Cottage Grove Tuesday.

Eagan needs to beat Eastview AA and Apple Valley A on the weekend to get the #3 seed and avoid an opening round game with one of the Lakevilles followed by playing the #1 seed.

Potentially the most interesting first round match-up could be a game between Farmington A and Hastings A.  The winner would advance to the regional because the remaining two D8 A teams (Apple Valley and Park/Cottage Grove) are likely to be eliminated in their first round games.  Valley could end up playing Woodbury AA and PCG could draw Eastview AA in their opening round games.  Two of the remaining three Peewee A regional teams would have to be determined by how the teams finished in regular season.  Currently, Hastings, Valley and PCG are tied in D8 and are likely to be tied at the end of league play Sunday.  For Farmington to fail to advance (if they lost to Hastings), Valley and PCG would have to win their first round games.  It can happen.  PCG was in this position last year before the playoffs started and made the state tourney.  That’s hockey.