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Superior returns to title game with 3-0 victory

By Michael Trzinski, WiPH Staff, 03/06/15, 8:00PM CST

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Spartans hold off feisty Cedarburg for semifinal win


The Superior Spartans scored late in the first period and added a pair of empty-net goals for a 3-0 win over Cedarburg in semi-final action Friday at the Alliant Energy Center.

The teams came out hitting from the start to set the tone for the game, but the officials let the players play and called only four total penalties in the contest.

A bad decision and a piece of bad luck added up to Superior's first goal.

On a puck dumped in behind the net, Cedarburg goalie Matt McCoy set the puck, only to have Superior's Daniel Burger win the race to it in front of the Bulldog defenseman.

Burger skated around and attempted a wraparound but his shot was mid-crease and bounced off McCoy's right pad and backwards into the net for the 1-0 Spartan lead. Anthony Bronson earned a helper on the play.

That's how the period ended, with Superior doubling up on Cedarburg in the shot column, 10-5.

The second period was scoreless, but not without action.

McCoy stopped a 3-on-1 break midway through the period with a right pad save and saw a backhander narrowly fly over the crossbar a minute later.

The Bulldogs had their chances as well, including a point shot that was re-directed just wide left with five minutes left in the period.

Shots were 8-4, Souptown, in the period.

Tyler Nystrom nearly added to Superior's lead early in the third, but his breakaway chance was stopped by McCoy just two minutes in.

Cedarburg almost tied the game with about five minutes left, but Tom Bibby's pitchfork shot from close in sailed over the crossbar.

Cedarburg took a time-out with two minutes left while midway through a power play and pulled McCoy thirty seconds later.

But as happens many times, that strategy backfired as Jesse Polson scored an empty-netter with 1:15 left for the 2-0 lead.

McCoy came back in and then left twenty seconds later, only to see Matthew Hinaus' empty-netter with 23 ticks left to seal the deal.

Superior held the 9-3 shot edge in the final stanza.

Peyton Flanders stopped 12 shots for his squad, which improves to 13-15-1 and will play either Wausau West or Madison Memorial in Saturday's title game.

This will be Superior's first look at a state title since 2007. They hope to win lucky number 13 tomorrow.

McCoy made 24 saves for Cedarburg, who finished the season with a fine record of 24-3-2.

WiPH Game Summaries