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  • Mankato East/Loyola's Kalli Steinberg (18) pursues Hutchinson's Taylor Niece during the first period of their Section 2A tournament game Saturday at All Seasons Arena. Pat Christman

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February 12, 2012

Hutchinson ousts East/Loyola girls in Section 2A hockey

Tigers score twice late in second to put Cougars away

By Joe Tischler Special to The Free Press

ST PETER — Even though the Mankato East/Loyola girls hockey team came into Saturday night’s Section 2A semifinal game with Hutchinson as the higher seed, the Cougars knew advancing to their first section championship wasn’t going to be easy.

After all, the Tigers are the three-time defending section champions. Hutchinson senior Sara Carlson made sure it was a challenge as she scored a hat trick, advancing her Tigers with a 5-2 win over the Cougars at All Seasons Arena.

The two teams met in East/Loyola’s second game of the season with the Cougars coming out on top 7-6. The first period seemed like a feeling out process since their previous meeting was nearly three months ago.

Neither team could muster a good scoring chance and went to the locker rooms scoreless.

Carlson then made her presence known in the second period. She drew a hooking penalty by Amanda Broman just over a minute in the period. Just as the power play ended, Carlson lifted a slap shot over the right shoulder of East/Loyola goalie Melany Anderson.

“She is a very good player,” said East/Loyola coach Nate Fuller. “When she has a little bit of time and space, she can do some things with the puck.”

East/Loyola tied it up at 1 when Sarah Biesterveld put a loose puck in front of the net past Hutchinson netminder Quin McCormick with 3:14 remaining in the period.

The final minute plus of the second stanza changed the outcome. Carlson picked up a loose puck of her own zone and slipped it by Anderson with just over a minute to go.

As the waning seconds ticked off, Hutchinson still attacked. Carlson laced a shot that ricocheted off Anderson and went straight to Allison Neubarth, who shot the puck in the open side of the right part of the net just before the buzzer sounded. The two late goals gave the Tigers a 3-1 lead.

East/Loyola came out with a fury in the third. Katy Snyder connected with a shot from the blue line that sailed over McCormick 1:13 into the period, slicing the deficit to 3-2.

Each team spent the next 10 minutes on the attack until a shot by Hutchinson’s Lauren Kirchoff trickled by Anderson with 4:38 remaining, giving the Tigers a 4-2 advantage. An empty net goal by Carlson ended the scoring.

The loss ends East/Loyola’s season with a record of 18-7-2. The Cougars do lose some good seniors including Anderson, but a strong contingent will return, including leading scorer, Savannah Quandt.

“Next year, we hope to do the same stuff and go to state,” Quandt said.

Fuller also believes East/Loyola will be contenders.

“Expectations will be very high for next year. We return a lot of girls. We do lose some good seniors. We’re coming back strong next year.”

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