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Grand Rapids Hockey Offseason News
-Sam Rendle, Tony Palkki, and John Skrbec have been named captains for the
2008-2009 season.
-J.R. Mackey has been awarded the 2007-2008 Grand Rapids Hobey Baker Award.
-Corey Kosak was named Player's Choice team MVP for the 2007-2008 season.
-Sam Sparen was named Player's Choice team Most Determined Player for the
2007-2008 season.
-Pat Rendle has been named Grand Rapids High School Athletic Director as Wayne
Pender is set to resign at the end of the school year.
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Grand Rapids/Greenway vs. Eden
Prairie - State Championship
Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN-7:00 p.m.
2/23/2007
Game Preview:
The Grand Rapids/Greenway Lightning will get their
first crack at a state championship on Saturday against the Eden Prairie Eagles.
In just their second trip ever to St. Paul the Lightning have advanced to the
state title game by defeated Centennial 2-1 in overtime and beating Farmington
5-0. Eden Prairie is down in St. Paul for the second time in three years for the
state tournament. This will also be their second title game in three years. The
Eagles won the state championship in 2006. Grand Rapids/Greenway will look to
Ms. Hockey finalist Emily Erickson to help lead them to a title. Erickson had a
hat trick and two assists in the Lightning 5-0 semi-final win. She now has 45
goals on the year to go along with 33 assists for 78 points. Her linemates Molly
Arola and Dana Gallop will also play a huge role in the championship. Gallop had
two goals in the win over Farmington and she now has 22 goals on the year to go
alone with her 33 assists for 55 points. Molly Arola is third on the club in
points and scored the game winning goal vs. Duluth in the section 7AA final and
she also score the overtime game winning goal against Centennial in the state
quarterfinals. Jessica Havel has been a rock in goal in the playoffs for the
Lightning. She has allowed just four goals in five playoff games. Havel is
24-3-2 on the year and has recorded five shutouts. Her career record is 37-5-2.
Eden Prairie is a very senior led team and has five players that will play
division one hockey next season. Kelly Seeler is Eden Prairie's Ms. Hockey
finalist and has 14 goals and 35 assists this year for 49 points. Melissa Feste
leads the team in points with 23 goals and 32 assists for 55 points on the
season. The Eagles hold the state's best record at 28-1-1. The Lightning will
have their work cut out for them in their first ever state title appearance.
Last meeting:
The two teams have never met.
Notes: Grand Rapids/Greenway is 2/13 (15%)
on the power play in the state tournament. The penalty kill has been 9/9 (100%)
so far in the state tournament. Emily Erickson has recorded 24 shots in two
games in the state tournament.
Line Score: Goals (top), Shots (bottom)
| Team |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Final |
| Grand
Rapids/Greenway |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
| Eden Prairie |
3 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
| Team |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Final |
| Grand
Rapids/Greenway |
9 |
8 |
6 |
23 |
| Eden Prairie |
9 |
6 |
8 |
23 |
Box Score:
1st Period-1. EP, Nikki Ludwigson (Andrea Peterson, Allie
LaCombe) 1:02; 2. EP, Kelly Seeler (Andrea Green) 1:58; 3. EP, Andrea Green
9:27; 4. GRG, Molly Arola (Emily Erickson, Kayla Clafton) (PP) 13:56
2nd Period-5. GRG, Marina Guyer (Molly Dekich, JoHanna Kohorst) (PP) 10:06
3rd Period-6. EP, Andrea Green 2:10; 7. GRG, Morgan Illikainen (Emily Erickson,
Molly Arola) 13:42; 8. EP, Andrea Green (Andrea Peterson) (EN) (SH) 15:52
Saves-Jessica Havel (GRG) 18, Maddie Burke (EP) 20
Three Stars:
3. Maddie Burke (EP)
2. Molly Arola (GRG)
1. Andrea Green (EP)
Game Summary:
Official start time: 7:15 p.m.
Official end time: 9:20 p.m.
Official game time: 2 hours and 5 minutes
The Grand Rapids/Greenway Lightning were denied their first state title while
the Eden Prairie Eagles picked up their second state championship in three
years. The Eagles end the three year stretch with a record of 87-2-1. The
Lightning fell behind early when Nikki Ludwigson beat Jessica Havel low to the
stick side just 1:02 into the game. Andrea Peterson and Allie LaCombe assisted
on Eden Prairie's first goal of the first two minutes. Just 56 seconds later Ms.
Hockey Finalist Kelly Seeler lit the lamp to make it 2-0 Eden Prairie. Andrea
Green began stealing the show as she assisted on the Seeler goal. Andrea Green
scored a goal of her own 9:27 into the period when she flew by the Grand
Rapids/Greenway defense and came in all alone on Havel. Green made a nice move
to beat Havel and put the Eagles up 3-0. Molly Arola started a comeback charge
with a five-on-three power play goal with 3:04 remaining in the first period.
Emily Erickson and Kayla Clafton assisted on the goal. The Lightning continued
to flurry for the rest of the period but could not get one by Maddie Burke.
Shots were even at nine after one period. Marina Guyer scored her fourth goal of
the playoffs just over ten minutes into the third period. It was a power play
goal with the play being started by JoHanna Kohorst at the point. Kohorst shot
the puck and Molly Dekich tipped it in front right onto the stick of Marina
Guyer back door. Guyer fired the puck home to cut the Lightning deficit to one.
The Lightning outshot Eden Prairie 8-6 in the second period but continued to
trail by one. Emily Erickson had the best chance to complete the comeback just
one minute into the third period when she came in on a lone break. Maddie Burke
made a huge save to hold the lead for the Eagles. Barely over a minute later
Andrea Green scored her second goal of the game to give Eden Prairie the huge
two goal lead. The Lightning would not quit. With just over three minutes to go
Molly Arola and Emily Erickson worked the puck in front of the net. Morgan
Illikainen slid down and buried the puck to make it a 4-3 game. The Lightning
were given a power play with 1:22 remaining and decided to pull goaltender
Jessica Havel for the extra attacked. Who other than Andrea Green would come
calling. Green took a pass in the neutral zone from Andrea Peterson and she cut
across the blue line and tallied the empty netter. Eden Prairie took another
penalty and Grand Rapids/Greenway was trying frantically to score. With 45
second left, Dana Gallop rung one off the cross bar and that was the last
attempt by the Lightning. Jessica Havel made 18 saves in the state championship
loss and Maddie Burke made 20 save to give Eden Prairie the title. Molly Arola,
Emily Erickson, Kayla Clafton, and Jessica Havel were named to the all
tournament team. Emily Erickson also won the Herb Brooks Award.
Photo of the Game:
Courtesy of Duluth News Tribune
All-Tournament Team
Courtesy of Minnesota Sports Online
State Runner Up
Courtesy of Minnesota Sports Online
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