BETWEEN THE PIPES
Make it two conference championships this year
Posted on Mar 01, 2009
What a game it was at Hunt Arena.
The Falcons were able to hold of the Pointers of UW-Stevens Point for a 5-3 win an its third O’Brien Cup championship in school history.
This game had it all.
Goal scoring with great goaltending, comebacks, drama and 467 people who can honestly say it was a great hockey game.
Both goalies were outstanding tonight and for the weekend. Cassi Campbell for the Falcons stopped 29 shots for the win and d’Andra Phillips let nothing in easy for the Pointers.
All the goals scored did not beat the goalies clean. There were rebounds, tips and screens and most of those did not even help.
Campbell had to make more of the harder saves on Sunday.
Stevens Point did a great job screening Campbell and getting some quality tips in front of her, but she was able to keep the puck close to her after the first shot or deflect them to the corners.
UWRF coach Joe Cranston was thrilled with not only Campbell’s play, but credited the 5 footer at the opposite end with a great tournament as well.
The Falcons had control of the game early in the period, but Laura Conrad took what I thought was a stupid penalty. She got into it with a Pointer forward and literally punched her in the face right in front of the referee. She was sent to the box and Dana Carothers made her pay, putting away a rebound for the early lead.
The next two Falcons goals were because of Conrad, who made up for what could have been a costly penalty.
In the second, down 1-0, Conrad saved a clearing attempt and fed the puck to Breanne Hrabe, who fired a one-timer toward the net. Katie Flannagan was positioned in front and tipped it past Phillips to put the Falcons on the board.
With less than 30 seconds to go in the second, Conrad saw the loose puck in front after Brittany Erickson got a shot off from a sharp angle. Conrad’s shot beat the sprawling Phillips just in time to give the Falcons a 2-1 lead going into the third.
After her time in the box, Conrad was the best defensemen on the ice. Yes, the best.
Playing with an injured shoulder, she played like a warrior. Never have I seen a person give up their body to save pucks from clearing the zone, to block shots or get physical with talented forwards that Stevens Point has.
Cranston praised her play on Sunday and I agree with him. Fabulous game by her tonight. She should be proud.
Stefanie Schmitz got a holding penalty early in the third, which she was not thrilled about at all, but Jamie Briski scored a short handed goal to give the Falcons a 3-1 lead.
The Pointers did not give up as Michelle Sosnowski took a loose puck from behind the net, skated toward the right faceoff dot and fired one past Campbell, who appeared to have been screened.
Jessica Thompson answered back 27 seconds later, scoring a goal while on her belly, which was the game winner.
Thompson was a machine all night. She was aggressive in the corners, digging pucks out and setting up the cycles.
She is a blue collar player and it is only fitting that she would score a blue collar type goal.
The Pointers had control much of the second half of the third period. Campbell had to make a sprawling save of her own to preserve a one-goal lead with less than four to go in the game after Pointer defenseman Sarah Phillips shot from the point fluttered past Campbell, who was screened again..
Abby Sundermann buried a slapper from the blue line with Phillips pulled with 31 seconds to play.
This was one of the best championship games that you will see. Great teams, great players, great coaches and great fans made it all happen.
The full version of the story is on the Student Voice Web site at http://www.uwrfvoice.com.
The Falcons will not play until March 13 or 14. Teams are still playing for automatic bids to the NCAA tournament and the at-large bids need to be selected still.
As soon as those come out, the Voice will have them. So, stay tuned for updates this week.