By Jim Rueda
MANKATO — The dictionary defines opportunistic as: “Taking immediate advantage of any circumstance of possible benefit.”
That description fit the New Prague girls hockey team perfectly Saturday afternoon as the Trojans pounced on their chances to earn a 6-2 nonconference win over Mankato East/Loyola at All Seasons Arena. Sophomore Shannon Meyer led New Prague with a hat trick. Teammate Brooke Bartelt added a pair of goals.
The game’s turning point came early in the second period. East/Loyola’s Savannah Quandt scored the game’s first goal at the 4:05 mark but, less than two minutes later, the Trojans had a 3-1 lead. Goals by Meyer, Lindsay Paschke and Bartelt over a 41-second span put New Prague on top for good.
“We kind of stopped moving our feet there for a couple of minutes and (New Prague) made us pay,” Quandt said after the game. “We picked it up after that and played them more even, but (that early scoring spree) hurt us.”
East/Loyola head coach Nate Fuller agreed: “(New Prague) capitalized on their opportunities today. When we had a defensive breakdown, they had somebody in position to take advantage. That’s something we need to keep working on.”
Quandt made it a 3-2 game at 16:05 of the second when she crossed between the circles and snapped the puck over goalie Shyler Sletta’s left shoulder. It remained a one-goal game until midway through the final period. That’s when Meyer scored back-to-back goals about two minutes apart and Bartelt capped the scoring at the 16:04 mark.
“They pulled away at the end but this game was a lot closer than a 6-2 score,” Fuller said. “We had some good scoring chances and picked up a few rebounds, we just weren’t able to put the puck across the line. It’s simple: They took advantage of their chances and we didn’t.”
New Prague improves to 6-4-1 and plays Tuesday at Bloomington Jefferson. East/Loyola (4-7) takes on crosstown rival Mankato West at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at All Seasons Arena.
“We’re excited about the West game,” Quandt said. “We’re hoping it will be a lot more even than it has been the last couple of years.”
