East Moves to Title Game

NSO – NEWS RELEASE

Duluth East with a record entering the game of 15-10-1, having been thumped by Edina back on Dec. 30th by a 7-1 score, a team that was down three goals in their quarterfinal game with 15 minutes remaining. This was the team that Edina (25-2-2) faced in the first Class AA semifinal.

It will be the Greyhounds, the victors by a 3-1 score who will advance to the Class AA championship game against either Eden Prairie or Lakeville North. The game started out with a flavor that one might expect when North goes against South, the City against Outstate.

The play was physical with, shoving and talking after the whistle going both ways. The Hornet’s got on the board first ten minutes into the game when Patrick Haug deflected Ben Foley’s shot from the point past Greyhound net minder Gunnar Howg. Ben Copeland got the other assist.

The Greyhounds tied it three and a half minutes later when on a power play Luke Dow picked up a loose puck on a giveaway behind the net and shot it by Edina goalie Kobi Boe. It was 1-1 after the first. The second period settled down into some good, strong hockey with chances both ways. Nick Altmann got the eventual game winner, with only 31 seconds remaining, when he dove after a rebound on a shot by Brian Bunten.

He was just left of Boe and while prostrate on the ice he knocked the puck past him for a lead they would not give up. The score stayed at 2-1 until with just under three minutes left in the game Ian Mageau inside his own blue line found a breaking Ash Altmann who broke in alone on Boe and flipped a forehand over him and assured the victory.