skip navigation

Minnesota 18U Clinches First Girls NIT Title

By Minnesota Hockey, 04/23/17, 1:15PM CDT

Share

Minnesota 18U is the 2017 Girls CCM NIT champion.

Minnesota 18U is the 2017 Girls CCM NIT champion.

Minnesota 18U clinches CCM NIT title with 6-2 win over Minnesota Seniors

By Trevor Squire

 
Minnesota 18U, fittingly sporting gold jerseys, were the gold standard of the 2017 Girls CCM NIT, posting 25 goals for and only two against through four games in pool play.
That dominance was apparent in the 18s 11-1 dismantling of Minnesota Seniors in Saturday's final game, which was a preview of Sunday's championship.

"After yesterday's game, we had a lot of momentum going in,"  Crystalyn Hengler (Eden Prairie) said, echoing coach Mark Johnson of Lakeville South's message to carry Saturday's game into the championship.

Twelve hours later, Minnesota 18U didn't show complacency one bit, dismantling the Seniors again 6-2 after a high scoring first period at Braemar Arena in Edina.

"They're just a phenomenal group of girls," Johnson said. " They really had a lot of fun. It's about competing and playing hard, but by having fun I think they were able to compete harder."

Minnesota Seniors got on the board first with a goal from Madison Nolan (Forest Lake High School), but the 18s countered with four goals to close the period.

 Anneke Linser (Centennial High School) shelved a pass across the slot from Claire Butorac (Andover High School) to tie the game. Hengler ripped a shot from the right face off circle that found the back fo the net to give Minnesota 18U the lead for good. Gabrielle Hughes (Centennial High School) capped the period with a beautiful forehand fake that Coco Francis (Maple Grove High School) bit on, leaving an open net for Hughes to exploit.

 Courtney Moser (Blaine High School) scored an unassisted goal three minutes into the middle frame to keep the Seniors in striking distance.

The final half of the game came down to a goaltending duel between Blaine tandem, senior Morgan Cin, and junior Jaela Obrien. Obrien won the battle, stopping nine shots in the 26 minutes of play with a defensive core in front of here that was willing to block shots and close down on shooting lanes.

After the game, future Minnesota Gopher, Grace Zumwinkle, was leaving the arena with a bag of bagels she brought to celebrate her birthday. Zumwinkle extended the party favors to Hengler and  Taylor Anderson (Eagan High School), who she also plays with in the Upper Midwest High School Elite League. 

"We have a game tonight actually so we have to get back together," Anderson said. "But it's kinda fun to have a rivalry and play against each other to playing together."

Every team that's won the tournament title since 2011 has consisted of seniors. Minnesota Seniors have won four championships with seniors and Wisconsin has won the other two with a senior laden team.

But the 18s proved that "age ain't nothin' but a number."

"A lot of us we're doubting ourselves because its the seniors' tournament, but once we got a few goals in we got the confidence to keep on pushing," Hengler said. "No matter what age you are, if you put your mind to it as a team you can do anything."


Grace Zumwinkle (left), Crystalyn Hengler (middle) and Taylor Anderson (right) sharing a postgame bagel feast.

Wisconsin edged Northern Midwest in third place game

Three second period goals was enough for Wisconsin to hold onto a 3-2 lead in its final game of the 2017 Girls CCM NIT on Sunday.

Anna Wilgren (Hudson High School) dropped a bar down goal 54 seconds into the middle frame, and came right back scoring another goal a minute, six seconds later. Abigail Stow (Eau Claire Memorial High School) buried a rebound late in the period to give Wisconsin a comfortable three-goal cushion.

Northern Midwest found its scoring stride late in the game with goals  Michaela Arnold (Roseville High School) and Jenna Ruiz (Eagan High School), but couldn't close the gap any further.

Emma Barrick Benson (Hutchinson High School) stopped all 27 shots she faced in the final half to help Northern Midwest mount its near-comeback. Rebecca Binder (Oshkosh West High School) made 22 saves in net for Wisconsin.

Most Popular