CEC And Grand Rapids-Greenway Skate To 3-3 Tie

Chris Shevich-NSO

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Dec 1

Kerry Rodd-NSO

CLOQUET – Sarah Gustafson was staring defeat in the face on Tuesday night. The CEC senior goaltender was locked in a 3-3 tie with Grand Rapids/Greenway and Gustafson’s defender had fallen down, allowing Lightning forward Bailey Rasmussen a breakaway with a chance to win. Instead of buckling under the pressure, Gustafson stood her ground and stonewalled Rasmussen sending the game to overtime as the Jacks and the Lightning played to a thrilling 3-3 tie.

The game featured an ebb and flow that had each cheering section standing with excitement at times and moaning at others. In other words, the game carried playoff emotion in the early season.

“What a game,” exclaimed assistant coach Mike Fails after the game in a radio interview on WKLK-FM. “Sarah Gustafson played great and it was just an exciting game to be a part of so early in the season.”

Grand Rapids/Greenway dictated play early in the first period and notched the first goal when Dana Gallop rifled a shot past Gustafson on a short-handed effort at the 5:02 mark of the first period. The Lightning handled the Jacks for most of the first period, but the resilient Jacks started taking control late in the period and managed to tie the game on a Jessie Ryan shorthanded breakaway with just 1:27 left in the period. Ryan picked off a pass at her own blue line and faked a backhander on Lightning goalie Sydney Helmbrecht before stuffing the puck in on the forehand tying the game at 1-1.

Whatever head coach Dick Bartholdi said in the locker room between the first and second period should be bottled because the youthful Lumberjacks stormed the Lightning net in the second period and completely controlled play. At times, the Lightning appeared to be dead tired as CEC rallied for a pair of goals, the first of which was caused by a Callie Halvorson hustle play. Halvorson outraced a Lightning defender to the corner and tossed the puck out to a waiting Savannah Hanson who rammed it home for a 2-1 lead at the 10:35 mark. Just 20 seconds later it was nearly an identical play giving CEC a 3-1 lead when Courtney Esse stormed into the corner and tossed the puck out front to a waiting Melissa Clark. After two periods the Jacks led it 3-1.

The Lightning got a magnificent play to pull to within 3-2 from Molly Illikainen who muscled the puck past Gustafson and defender with one hand just 2:55 in to set up a wild finish.

Gallop, who had been stopped just minutes earlier by Gustafson, finally pulled the Lightning even at 10:55 of the final period when she went from pipe to pipe and shelved the puck just under the cross bar for a 3-3 tie.

In overtime, the Lumberjacks picked up two tripping penalties and were two players short for 1:33 of the eight minutes. Gustafson was magnificent in that stretch and the Jacks survived multiple scoring chances by the Lightning to finish in the 3-3 deadlock.

Gustafson finished with 28 saves on 31 shots, while Helbrecht made 21 saves on 24 shots.

The Lumberjacks will play at home against the Duluth Northern Stars on Thursday night and on Saturday afternoon at home against the Minnetonka Skippers.

Kerry Rodd can be reached at kerry@northlandsportsonline.com