Hill-Murray Pioneer Hockey: Game 2007-12-27

First Period
WBL, Josh Hauswirth (Chad Lowell), 4:13.
HM, Tyler Zepeda (Ryan Furne, Chris Casto), 5:50.
WBL, Zach Hoffman, 8:49.

Second Period
WBL, Matt Sura (Chris Fiala, Sean Galloway), 6:51.
HM, Dave Cascalenda (Delaney "Lou" Metcalf, Paul Prescott), 10:28.
HM, Nick Widing, 13:32.
HM, Ryan Furne (Dan Cecka, Dan Sova), 15:31 (pp).

Third Period
HM, Dan Sova (Tyler Zepeda), 8:12 (pp).
HM, Isaac Kohls, 12:24.

Shots by period
Hill-Murray	11	12	11	-	34
White Bear Lake	5	12	14	-	31

Goalies Minutes GA Saves Result
HM - Joe Phillippi 51 3 28 W
WBL - Owen Collette 51 6 28 L

Power Plays Goals Attempts Time
Hill-Murray 2 3 2:50
White Bear Lake 0 3 5:05

White Bear Lake made Hill-Murray fight an uphill battle this time, but the end result was the Pioneers' second three goal victory over the Bears in less than a week. Dave Cascalenda's second period goal sparked a five goal uprising, and Hill-Murray advanced to the Gold Division final for the first time.

The teams traded first period goals on odd-man rushes. After stealing the puck near their own blue line, the Bears scored first with Josh Hauswirth converting on a 2-on-1 from the right circle. Hill-Murray countered as Ryan Furne was hooked on a breakaway, but still got off a shot and Tyler Zepeda was there to put in the rebound.

Hill-Murray gave White Bear a gift when a clearing pass from behind the net hit Joe Phillippi and went behind him. Zach Hoffman was credited with the goal.

White Bear was effective in the second period taking shots from everywhere and trying to screen the goalie in the process. The Bears took the first ten shots of the period, hit the post once, and finally scored when Matt Sura fired a long rebound over Phillippi's glove at 6:51.

Trailing for only the second time in ten games, Hill-Murray got one back when Dave Cascalenda missed on a 2-on-1, then got the puck back as it caromed off the left boards and scored on a low wrist shot from 20 feet.

The rest of the period was all Pioneers. Nick Widing nearly set up Isaac Kohls for a one-time goal, drawing a penalty in the process. Before the Bears could control the puck, and before Collette knew where it was, Widing retrieved the puck from behind the net and scored on a wraparound to tie the game.

Another Bears penalty late in the period gave Hill-Murray its second power play, and Dan Sova blasted a shot off the crossbar. Seconds later, Sova teed it up again and missed the net, but the puck bounced off the boards and Furne whacked it out of midair for the go-ahead goal.

White Bear again started the third period on the offensive and nearly tied the game several times. Instead, Hill-Murray scored a much needed insurance goal when Sova converted Zepeda's centering pass on a 3-on-1. Kohls made it 6-3 with a wrist shot from the right circle with 4:36 to play. Hill-Murray will now try for its first Gold Division championship, having won the Silver two years ago.