Oh, so close, Trojans tie Holy Angels
A week earlier, Holy Angels saw its 141-game Missota Conference winning streak stopped by the Chaska Hawks. On Friday, Feb. 18, the Stars saw their latest winning streak stopped... at one.
The New Prague Trojans refused to be intimidated against the perennial state power and took a 5-3 lead in the second period before surrendering a pair of goals and managing a 5-5 overtime tie.
Earlier in the week the Trojans shut out Northfield 3-0.
New Prague received the No. 3 seed in Section 1A and will host Northfield at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, in the quarterfinals. The winner plays in the semifinals at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Rochester Rec Center against either Albert Lea or Faribault.
Trojans 3, Raiders 0
Joe Morris stopped 19 shots for a shutout as the New Prague Trojans defeated Northfield 3-0.
New Prague got on the board in the first period, with Ryan Richardson scoring on assists form Jack Pexa and Alex Woyda at 10:16.
They added two in the second as Luke Lijewski scored on assists from Cole Mason and Cody Meyer at 6:25. Mason scored the final goal at 16:21, with an assist from Brent Jones.
New Prague held a 26-9 advantage in shots on goal through two periods, but the Raiders put some pressure on the Trojans, outshooting them 10-5 in the final period.
Trojans 5, Stars 5
New Prague came within inches of beating Holy Angels for the first time in 20 years Friday, Feb. 18, and instead settled for a 5-5 overtime tie.
With time running out in the extra session, and New Prague skating shorthanded, Trojan junior Alex Woyda moved in on Stars' goaltender Brett Pierce. His shot went off Pierce's right leg and bounced toward the goal line. With the puck sitting inches from the line, Woyda and Pierce both lunged for the puck, but Pierce covered it with 9 seconds left, preserving the tie.
New Prague had the lead three times in the contest, but couldn't hold on. They went up 1-0 on a Richardson goal at 3:26, but Trevor Meador - a former New Prague youth hockey player - tied it at 1-1 just 17 seconds later.
The Stars went up 2-1, but New Prague countered with two goals in six seconds. Curt Brezina tied it at 22 with a soft shot from in front of the net that fluttered past Pierce. Then on the ensuing face off the Trojans fired it behind the Stars' net. Pierce mishandled the puck and it ended up in front of an open net and Mason put the Trojans back up at 3-2.
Holy Angels tied the game again just 31 seconds later, and it was 3-3 after one period.
Cody Meyer scored twice in the second period, once at 2:17 and again at 6:55 to give the Trojans a 5-3 lead.
But Holy Angels scored later in the second and tied it in the third.
The Stars had a 44-39 advantage in shots, but The Trojans closed strong, holding a 7-3 advantage in shots in the overtime. Morris stopped 34 shots.
Meyer had two goals, Mason had a goal and an assist and Pexa, Lijewski and Jones had two assists each for the Trojans. Richardson and Brezina both had goals.
