Ava Rode scored a power play goal in overtime to lead the Central Wisconsin Storm to a 2-1 win over the Bay Area Ice Bears at Cornerstone Community Center in our Game of the Week on Thursday night.

The Storm and the Ice Bears play a very similar style of hockey. They are each aggressive on offense, but focused on defense. The shots on goal counts were low for each team, because they each focus on blocking shots long before they get to the goalies.

The first period was scoreless, but not without scoring chances. Parker Bartholomaus for Bay Area and Claire Calmes were each on their games. Bartholomaus stopped all 9 shots that got through to her in the frame, while Calmes had to stop 14.

Just 38 seconds into the second period, Addison Dahl picked off a breakout pass in the Storm zone and was able to skate unencumbered into the low slot. Dahl got off a quick wrist shot that beat Calmes through the five hole.

Both defenses got even tighter after that and the period ended with the Ice Bears up 1-0. Calmes stopped the other 5 shots she saw, while Bartholomaus was only forced to make 3 saves.

Ice Bears coach Joey Gerarden said, “I felt defensively we did our job with the shot blocks and puck movement.  Wish we would have gotten a few bounces to go our way however our group never stopped and made a great push at the end of the 3rd.  All around very Proud of our group.”

Halfway through the third period, Ava Whitmore carried the puck into the Bay Area zone along the right boards. She feathered a beautiful pass to Jayden Yirkovski in the slot and Yirkovski was able to skate in on Bartholomaus and score the tying goal.

Each goalie had to make only 2 saves in the third, and regulation ended with a 1-1 tie.

Three minutes into overtime,  Bartholomaus went down and covered the puck. A Storm skater jabbed at  Bartholomaus’ glove to try and dislodge the puck and was promptly sent to her backside by Dahl. Usually in a game situation like this, the officials will either call the Storm player for slashing and Dahl for roughing, or they will let the play slide. These officials decided to only call the penalty on Dahl for roughing. The Storm player was grinning all the way to her bench.

With two seconds remaining on the ensuing power play, Ava Rode knocked in a rebound of a shot by Maddie DePuydt, and Central Wisconsin won the game 2-1.

Gerarden added, “Our Team knows that we control the outcomes not the officials so it is great to be in a game like that to know where we stand.  I thought our group controlled most of the game and it's unfortunate it came down to a PP goal loss.”