The StormHawks girl’s hockey (8–3–1 conference, 12–11–2 overall) faced Academy of Holy Angels (6–5 conference, 9–15 overall) on Jan. 31 in a matinee matchup at the Richfield Arena. The StormHawks had taken the first game of the season series with a 5–4, down-to-the-wire thriller in Chaska on Jan. 8.
Based on that first meeting, this contest was expected to be close, and it delivered. From the opening faceoff, both teams skated aggressively out of their defensive zones but found the neutral zone difficult to navigate. Poke checking played a significant role, as each team disrupted the other’s rhythm with timely stick work and pass interceptions.
Holy Angels scored the first goal at 16:21 of the first period (periods are 17:00 long), but Chaska responded just four seconds later off the ensuing faceoff to tie the game. Haylee Coulson (So.) scored with assists from Evie Lundeen (Jr.) and Claire Lawler (Sr.).
Fourteen seconds after that, at 16:39, Evie Lundeen found the net again, assisted by Coulson and Joey Hartle (8th), giving the StormHawks a 2–1 lead.
The second and third periods featured back-and-forth action marked by strong defensive play and tight control at the blue line by both teams.
The final four minutes of the second period saw the StormHawks take back-to-back penalties, but the penalty-kill unit responded with excellent puck control.
Goalie Regan Conrad once again delivered a formidable performance, stopping several challenging shots to keep the StormHawks in the game.
At 5:10 in the third period, Holy Angels tied the game. Both teams continued their evenly matched play through the remainder of regulation and into overtime.
The extra period produced no goals, as fatigue became evident after a hard-fought afternoon, and the game ended in a 2–2 tie.
The StormHawks recorded 22 shots on goal, while the Stars finished with 26.
Following the game, Head Coach Brian Lawler commented, “We were evenly matched. We’ll take the tie, but a win would have been nice. We’ve had a great season and earned a winning record. We’re a younger team, so we have a lot to look forward to. I think we’re going to show people how good we are in sectionals and going forward.”
The StormHawks closed the regular season with a 12–11–2 overall record and an 8–3–1 conference mark, finishing third in the conference.
Evie Lundeen (Jr.) led the team in scoring with 32 points and tied Joey Hartle (8th) for the team lead in goals with 15 each. Lundeen also led the team in assists with 17, followed closely by Haylee Coulson (So.) with 16.
Junior goalie Regan Conrad appeared in 17 of the team’s 25 games, posting a 7–10–2 record with one shutout. She faced 628 shots and finished the season with a 3.30 goals-against average.
Ten StormHawks played in all 25 games this season, demonstrating consistency, dedication and team tenacity. Seniors Claire Lawler, Addison Montague, Sarah Broten and Adelie Wentzel will be missed, but their leadership and influence will carry on with their teammates.
The StormHawks will face Prior Lake at Dakota Arena in the opening round of the sectional tournament at 7 p.m. on Feb. 6. The two teams met on Dec. 4, with Prior Lake earning a 5–3 win in a game that featured a hat trick by StormHawks’ Joey Hartle.
