skip navigation

TW Girls earn second straight CCM NIT title

By Michael Trzinski, WiPH Staff, 04/26/15, 2:45PM CDT

Share

Solid second, third periods key in 4-1 win

For the second straight year, Team Wisconsin forgot about a pool play loss to the Minnesota Senior squad and beat them when it counted--in Sunday's title game.

For the second straight year, Team Wisconsin outplayed a highly-vaunted Minnesota team to take home the hardware with their 4-1 win Sunday morning at the Braemar Ice Arena in Edina at the CCM NIT tournament.

T-Dub lost a close match to MN in Thursday's pool play round, 4-3, with Minnesota scoring two late-third period goals to overcome a 3-2 TW lead.

Not on Sunday, though.

The first period was scoreless, with TW failing to convert on a power play. Shots were even at seven apiece.

Minnesota struck first in the middle period on a power play.

Twenty-eight seconds into the penalty, a slap shot from the blueline was re-directed and beat TW goalie Erin Connolly on the high side for a 1-0 lead. Sierra Smith was credited with the goal and assists went to Paige Sorensen and Corbin Boyd.

But that was all the noise MN would make, as the rest of the game was all TW.

Sloan Sullivan scored from the high slot area for TW to tie the game at one with just over two minutes left in the period. Nicole Unsworth and Stephanie Keryluk earned assists on the play.

With time running down in the period, Maegan Sheehan scored from the top of the right circle as the puck dribbled past the MN netminder to give TW a lead they would not lose. The unassisted goal came with 39 seconds left. Shots in the period were 10-7 in favor of TW.

TW went on the PK just 36 seconds into the final period, with Minnesota looking for a chance to tie the game.

Jacyn Reeves changed that in a hurry.

Reeves--the Union College commit--stole a D-to-D pass and put the puck past MN goalie Julia Carle for the short-handed goal and a 3-1 lead at the 2:16 mark.

It looked like that would be the final until Kelly Knetter put back a shot taken by Reeves for the 4-1 lead with 2:28 left.

Minnesota worked hard to the tune of 13 final period shots--as had Team Wisconsin--but Connolly and the rest of the team kept the puck out of the net and the horn sounded on a three-goal TW victory.

Kenzie Torpy started the game in net for TW, playing 26 minutes and stopping 10 of 10 shots fired at her. Connolly came in and gave up the early PP goal but was a stone wall after, stopping 16 of 17 total. For MN, Ashley Corcoran (10) and Carle (16) combined for 26 saves.

Wisconsin held a 30-27 shot edge in the tightly-contested game.

Once again, Wisconsin beat Minnesota in the 'Border Battle' game at the NIT tourney. It was reported that Minnesota has '11 or 12' D-1 commits, while Wisconsin has only two.

Yet when it came down to hoisting the championship chalice, Wisconsin's 'David' beat the 'Goliath' of Minnesota.

Cheers, ladies!!