Greenwave win in OT

Boys hockey: Wave win in overtime

East Grand Forks Senior High positioned itself as the No. 1 team in Greater Grand Forks on Thursday night at the Civic Center. And it took possibly the softest shot of the day to cement that statement.

By: Tom Miller, Grand Forks Herald

Grand Forks Senior High positioned itself as the No. 1 team in Greater Grand Forks on Thursday night at the Civic Center.

And it took possibly the softest shot of the day to cement that statement.

Green Wave senior defender Blake Christiansen scored in overtime when his light shot from the blue line deflected off the unsuspecting skates of Grand Forks Red River defenseman Matt Verke and into the net to give Senior High a 3-2 victory.

“(Christiansen) was just trying to get the puck on net,” Senior High coach Cory Chupka said. “It’s one of those things where you put the puck on net and anything can happen. It’s cliché, but that’s what happened in overtime.”

Senior High, which improved to 7-5, sits atop the Gambucci Cup standings, which track the head-to-head matchups between the Green Wave, Red River and Grand Forks Central.

The Green Wave defeated Central 4-1 in late December.

Red River coach Bill Chase said there was no one to blame on the late goal.

“It’s hard,” Chase said. “(Red River goalie Andrew Butkowski and Verke) didn’t see it coming. It’s unfortunate to lose in that way, but hey, that’s sports.”

Chase was pleased with how the Riders bounced back from Tuesday’s 8-2 surprising loss to Central at Purpur Arena.

“It was a good character game,” Chase said. “What I really liked is when (Senior High) scored their second goal, we didn’t quit. East Side played hard. That’s just a good high school hockey game.”

The Riders played without its top point-getter, Casey Fugleberg, who is day-to-day with an injury suffered Tuesday against Central.

Red River went with another lineup change, starting backup goalie Butkowski in place of starter Bryan Nies.

Butkowski finished with 29 saves, including a key stuff of Senior High forward Cory Mack at the door step with a minute left in regulation.

But the Riders couldn’t overcome the play of Green Wave junior forward Zack Lawdermilt, who scored two goals to bump his season total to nine.

Lawdermilt scored just 2:27 into the first period on a rebound with assists going to Gage Ausmus and Mack.

Red River would tie it midway through the opening period on a goal from Brock Dahl, whose shot from the slot trickled past Wave goalie Hunter Aubol, who ended with 19 stops.

Lawdermilt struck again at 6:41 of the third period when he scored from the right circle on a 2-on-1 situation.

“Zack has been very good,” Chupka said. “He keeps flying up and down that wing. He’s a goal scorer. That goal in the third period … to shelf that … that’s a goal-scorer’s goal.”

The Riders, who dropped to 7-3, forced overtime when Alan Zahui scored a power-play goal on the rebound of Jon Lizotte’s hard-working shot in the slot at 12:57 of the third.

That set up Christiansen’s game-winner.

“We needed this win to get our confidence back,” said Chupka, whose team lost to Moorhead 5-2 on Tuesday. “We came out really prepared and got a win.”


http://www.mnhockeyhub.com/game/show/1049429?subseason=27330