BLAINE, MN — Sunday morning the Peewee Queens started the playoff round of the Centennial Super Chill Tournament with a semi-final game against the No. 2 ranked 12UA team in Minnesota, Minnetonka Blue, a team with a record of 18-0 this season.
Kingston Golding would score first to give the Queens an early lead on a setup from Brynn Hannula. Minnetonka, though, would come back minutes later with the tying goal.
The Peewees would get another lead with a goal from Rhae Thomas which held into the third period until Minnetonka would score again ultimately tying the game for good. 2-2 after regulation.
The game would go to a 5-minute overtime which would go scoreless. Goaltender Abby Wills needed 20 saves to bring her team to this point and they’d need her to make a few more to move on as the game went to a best-of-5 shooter shootout. Again, this would be tied with both sides scoring two goals aside. Extra shooters. Golding, who had sniped a goal earlier in the game, shot 6th for the Queens but was stopped. Minnetonka sent their 6th shooter with a chance to win the game but Wills would save the puck and the game, keeping her team’s chances alive. Taylee Marks shot 7th for the Queens, she’d fake to the backhand, stop up and fire the puck in past the sprawling netminder. Minnetonka would still have a chance to tie it up but Abby Wills would stonewall the final shooter as the Queens took the shootout win, beating the undefeated Minnetonka Blue and earning their spot in the Championship game.
Sunday afternoon it was the North Wright County Riverhawks awaiting the Peewee Queens for the Championship. Avery Olenik gave the Queens a 1-0 lead on the only goal of the opening period. Golding extended that lead but the Riverhawks struck back with two quick powerplay goals of their own, tying the game. 2-2 after 2.
The Queens would need to reign in on taking any penalties as NWC had gone 2-for-3 on their powerplays.
Halfway into the third, Rhae Thomas would get the puck from Hannula and score, giving the Queens a late lead in the game. Queens netminder Alexandra Young would need to stop the Riverhawks comeback attempt, including another powerplay. NWC pulled their goalie for the 6-on-5 advantage but it’d be Golding securing gold, by scoring the empty-netter with six seconds remaining.
