March 5, 2004 @ Coliseum 6:00

The streak had to end sometime. Centennial became the first team other than Hill-Murray or White Bear Lake to win Section 3 in 22 years, but the Pioneers made sure they earned it in an exciting game in front of a standing room only crowd at the Coliseum.

HM received a tough break on the first shift when Sam Kelly was assessed a penalty for tapping Centennial goalie Greg Stutz behind the net. With ten seconds left on the power play, a Centennial defensemen got tripped up by a stray stick in his own zone. Tim Dickhudt picked up the loose puck and fired it over Stutz's glove for a shorthanded goal.

Midway through the first period, Casey Gresback was held up trying to get to a loose puck, and was then given a penalty for doing the same thing to a Centennial player a few seconds later. This time the Cougars capitalized as Tom Gorowsky scored on a one-timer from the left circle.

Centennial scored the only goal of the second period, and HM squandered a chance to score a badly needed goal when they were the beneficiary of a two minute, two man advantage late in the period. The Cougars thought they had scored again six minutes into the third, but after a lengthy discussion, it was determined that the net was off its pegs and the goal nullified. A minute later, Centennial scored an undisputed goal to go up 3-1.

HM got new life when Ryan Guentzel tipped in a point shot by Billy Leier with just under four minutes remaining. The Pioneers had one last great chance to tie the game with a goalmouth scramble in the final thirty seconds, but Stutz made two saves and a third shot hit the side of the net.

James Fangel was the best player on the ice for either team and finished with 34 saves, many of them very difficult ones. Stutz stopped 24 of 26 HM shots.

Copyright 1999-2024 hmpioneers.net

.