On Friday night the Osseo Maple Grove and Minneapolis youth associations put on a great display of hockey. During a game between OMG White and MPLS Purple, the two associations recruited hundreds of fans to help cheer on these two teams. In a flash mob entrance similar to a video produced a few years ago, the fans arrived during warm ups.  Much like the video, the fans came with signs, face paint and most important a couple of mascots. Minnesota Wild mascot Nordy and OMG mascot Barry made their presence felt. Friday's tilt was part of the OMG/MPLS Winter Face-off, a series of games held between each association where the association with the best record wins a traveling trophy.

With a packed house, full house music, and national anthem the game got off to a fast start. Neither team scored in the first, but the action was crazy. It was almost as if the girls were trying to thank their new found fans with extra special effort. Goalies Audrey Swanson and Linnea Johnson both had great nights in the pipes. Each coming up with big saves on low shots to keep the score tied after one.

Likely one of the highlights of the game for YHH was watching Nordy the MN Wild mascot lead the girls in a first period Dance Party. Both teams let down their hair and had some fun during the period break. Nordy was a show stopper on Friday in Osseo.

Early in the second, OMG took control of the play and suffocated the Storm in their own zone. On the first shift the Crimson had a four shot flurry that Swanson managed to deny. The left handed goalie squirmed and swatted away shot after shot. In the middle of the period, star forward Emily Oakland got loose in the high slot and fired a rocket that beat Swanson on her low glove side. The crowd erupted, despite the rivalry both sides cheered heartily. A few minutes later, Emily Achenbach used her speed to get loose in the Storm zone and fired a hard wrist shot that gave Swanson trouble, she saved it but it produced a juicy rebound on the stick of Oakland and she buried it top shelf to give the White Hawks a 2-0 after two periods.

At the break, OMGHA put on a chuck a puck contest with hundreds of pucks targeting the center ice dot for a jackpot. Jack Schrader from YHH #1 rated OMG SQB Gold won the jackpot. 

By the third period, the teams began to tire. The Storm fought hard to get the next goal, but Johnson stood tall for the White Hawks. Storm stars Lea Bridgeman and Ruby Christman had some great puck rushes. My favorite Minneapolis player was Norah Drugge, a great player with a fantastic motor. She never quit. Late in the game, Achenbach did her thing, she charged hard and fired a wrist shot and Allanah Fennel buried the seed for OMG to give them the 3-0 win.

Hats off to Avery Appleman and Mike Shogren from OMGHA and MPLS Hockey who helped pull off this wonderful event. These two are very passionate volunteers who spend countless hours helping keep Minnesota community based hockey an affordable and viable option for all people in the State of Hockey.