Hill-Murray Pioneer Hockey: Game 2010-03-05

First Period
HM, Kevin Becker (Kevin Schulze), 13:37.

Second Period
HM, Chris Casto (Kevin Becker), 5:56.
HM, Ben Bahe (Willie Faust), 9:26.
HM, Jack Walsh (Loren French), 11:23 (pp).

Third Period
WBL, Max Birkinbine (Brandon Wahlin, Ryan Wolter), 2:07 (pp).
HM, Jack Walsh (Ryan Holler), 5:34.

Shots by period
Hill-Murray	11	14	11	-	36
White Bear Lake	6	5	12	-	23

Goalies Minutes GA Saves Result
HM - Tim Shaughnessy 51 1 22 W
WBL - Jared Schletty 51 5 31 L

Power Plays Goals Attempts Time
Hill-Murray 1 5 7:26
White Bear Lake 1 5 8:18

As section finals go, this one was anticlimactic. Hill-Murray outperformed White Bear in every facet of the game, leading to the school's largest margin of victory in a section final in 13 seasons. It started with the defense of Chris Casto, Jordan Johnson, Kevin Schulze, and J.D. Cotroneo, who scarcely allowed a Bears' skater near their own net all game. Goalie Tim Shaughnessy was steady when needed, and extended his shutout streak to 9 periods before yielding a lone goal early in the third.

The offense, deliberate at first, became an all out assault on Bears' goalie Jared Schletty in the second period. By the time Jack Walsh scored his second goal five minutes into the third, another section championship was all but guaranteed.

The Pioneers kept the play in the White Bear zone for most of the first period and scored their first goal with 3:23 left. Kevin Becker won a faceoff back to Schulze and then tipped in a long shot for a 1-0 lead.

Hill-Murray was called for back-to-back penalties following the goal but put on a highly effective penalty kill. White Bear's only good scoring chance of the period was an open shot from 15 feet that Shaughnessy smothered. Finally, Willie Faust was hauled down as he nearly split two defensemen, ending what remained of the power play.

Three goals in six minutes midway through the second blew the game wide open. Chris Casto's long shot through traffic found its way to the back of the net at 5:56. If Hill-Murray's first two goals were simple hockey, their next three were spectacular. Faust's long diagonal pass was tipped into the zone by Ben Bahe, who came at the net from a sharp angle but stuffed the puck under Schletty. Then Loren French hit Jack Walsh in stride, who ripped a shot into the upper corner from the slot for a power play goal.

White Bear's lone goal came on a power play off the stick of Max Birkinbine, after Schletty had stopped two shorthanded breakaways and two players had become entangled behind the play, effectively creating a 4-on-3. Hill-Murray regained a four goal cushion three minutes later, when Ryan Holler raced down the right side to prevent icing and set up Walsh for a one-timer.

Hill-Murray's record stands at 25-2-1 entering next week's state tournament. White Bear Lake finishes 17-10-1, with three of those losses against Hill-Murray.