PWAA Semifinal Prior Lake-4 St. Cloud-3

Prior Lake scored twice in the opening period. Six minutes into the first period, Nick Speltz got the first goal, Neuharth and Tommy Stathopoulos got the assists.  Prior Lake led 1-0.  With 90 seconds left in the period, the Lakers put a nice 2-0n-1 rush together with Matt Beaty getting the score, Sam Emmerich got the assist.  Prior Lake led 2-0 at the end of the first period.  The Lakers outshot the Huskies 9-6 in the period and Prior Lake’s goalie Carson Stokes was making it tough on the Huskies.   

Three minutes into the second period, St. Cloud’s Nathan Warner scored a power play goal to cut the Lakers’ lead to 2-1.  Warner put the puck in the net with a quick wrist shot from the right slot.  Gabbi Rud and Ethan Cummings got the assist.  The game momentum started to shift to St. Cloud after that score.  The Huskies were starting to beat the Prior Lake defense in neutral ice.   

A Prior Lake score from the point with less than four minutes left in the period cooled the St. Cloud attack.  The Lakers’ Emmerich got the goal, Neuharth and Speltz got the assists.  Prior Lake outshot St. Cloud 13-8 in the second period.  Prior Lake led 3-1 going into the third period. 

St Cloud regained their momentum in the third period.  They became the aggressor and were forcing play in the Prior Lake zone.  With five minutes gone in the period, the Huskies’ Cumming scored to cut the Lakers’ lead to 3-2.  Warner and Luke Johnson got the assists.  Five minutes later, St. Cloud tied the game 3-3.  Warner got the score; Blake Keller and Derek Herrington got the assists.  Warner figured in all three Huskies goals.

Two overtime periods were played following the end of regulation.  The first overtime had it’s moments. Prior Lake drew a trip three minutes into the overtime, but killed the penalty.  The second overtime was a five-minute overtime played 4-on-4.  Late in the second overtime, the Lakers drew a slashing penalty.  The ice was cleaned and the Lakers started the third overtime on the penalty kill.  The Lakers killed the penalty and a few seconds later, St. Cloud drew a slashing penalty setting up Neuharth’s game winner.  It was a surprising power play goal.  Neuharth shot the puck from the right faceoff but it was an off speed shot that slid towards the net on the ice to the top of the crease just beyond the St. Cloud goaltender’s reach.  The puck was deflected off a defender into the open side of the net.  Neuharth’s score may have been a surprise, but it was a game winner and it propelled the Lakers into the championship game.  

PWAA Semifinal Minneapolis-3 Chaska/Chanhassen-1

The first period set the tone of the game.  Minneapolis could develop their offense and find ways to pressure the Chaska goal, but the Hawks forwards were continually frustrated with a tough Storm defense that would often take the initiative and led the Storm offensively into the Chaska zone.  The game would become a tight fore checking game with few shots on net.  For most of the first period, that is how the game was played.  With under a minute left in the first period, the Storm scored.  Defenseman Will Svenddal got the goal, Charlie Warnert got the assist.  Minneapolis led 1-0 at the end of the first period and outshot the Storm Hawks 5-3 in the period.

The second period was scoreless.  The Storm outshot Chaska/Chanhassen 9-6 in the period.  Both teams played a tough fore-checking game.

Minneapolis started the third period on the power play.  Thirty seconds into the period, Chaska/Chanhassen scored shorthanded to tie the game 1-1.  The Hawks’ Shane Lavelle beat the Storm defense carrying the puck low to the right crease.  Lavelle beat Stokes on a short two foot backhand shot to tie the game 1-1.  Nicholas Olmscheid got the assist.  The game settled over the next six minutes with both teams pressing.  In the Storm’s zone, the Storm Hawk forwards were constantly forced wide and found the slot area clogged with Storm defenders.  The Hawk forwards began to play more aggressive.  Halfway through the third period, Mortenson scored the game winner.  It was an unassisted goal.  Mortenson picked off a Storm Hawk breakout attempt and moved into the left slot beating CC’s goalie with a hard shot slightly right.  The Storm led 2-1.

Chaska/Chanhassen came storming back, but when the defense could not hold the point on the attack, the Storm’s Joe Miller picked up the loose puck and took off along the left boards and took off.  Miller beat the Hawks’ defense into the Chaska zone and fed Mortenson breaking in the slot for the insurance goal.  The Storm won 3-1.