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Springs Ousts Rival Fondy

By Michael Rogers, Fond du Lac Reporter, 02/18/11, 8:10AM CST

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Ledgers Claim Regional Championship

The crowd at the Fond du Lac Blue Line Family Ice Center roared in approval of the many big hits on display in a boys hockey regional final between St. Mary's Springs and Fond du Lac High School.

The Fondy student section enjoyed more of those celebrations, but the one that counted was the deafening noise that came from Springs' side after the Ledgers' 3-1 win Thursday.

"I haven't passed this round of the playoffs yet, so it's pretty special," Springs coach Ty Steffes said. "Playing in Fond du Lac; playing Fond du Lac; it's always a great game when you play those guys."

Springs (20-4) will play Arrowhead in a sectional semifinal on Tuesday. The time and location will be determined.

Unlike the first meeting, which became a showcase for the speed of Springs' forwards, Thursday's playoff game was about who could hit harder and who could outlast the opponent.

"We're not an extremely physical team, but you can't sit back against their forwards, especially that top line. You have to get after them," Fondy coach Ryan Sarazin said. "We thought if we could hold them to one or two goals we'd have a shot."

The Cardinals (9-15-2) held Springs to one even-strength goal, but two special teams goals proved to be the difference, and one fluke bounce changed the game.

Fondy had been peppering Springs goalie Parker Deanovich for the better part of 10 minutes in the second period.

The senior net minder only surrendered one tying goal, and he got support with 3 minutes, 32 seconds left in the period.

Jacob Schultz sent the puck from the right corner toward the middle of the ice, and Fondy goalie Joe Rebedew started sliding over to stop a potential shot on the backdoor.

Instead, it hit his pad and no one could stop Tyler Grebe from banging home the game-winner.

"No one was there. It was absolutely empty," Grebe said. "It was a huge momentum changer. We really needed that. Then we just worked the rest of the game."

The junior scored his second of the game and sixth against the Cardinals this season midway through the third period on the Ledgers' fourth power play of the night.

A Schultz shot from the blue line was stopped, but Grebe was waiting by the crease for the rebound. He muscled his way to the other side of the net and tucked in the dagger.

"It was nuts, absolutely nuts," Grebe said of beating Fondy twice. "Nothing like it."

Deanovich made 29 saves, but he didn't have much work after his team grabbed a two-goal lead.

"They played excellent (defense). That was probably the best I've seen this year," he said. "They were clearing the puck; they were clearing the way so I could see the shots. They were just doing fantastic today."

Schultz scored the game's first goal when he deflected in a shot from Brendan Ahern, and senior Keegan Acheson gave Fondy its only goal 6 minutes into the second period with a high wrister. Despite the Cardinals' energy, they couldn't muster another goal.

"I can't fault them. [Springs] just made a few more plays," Sarazin said. "[Fondy's players] had energy. I asked them to be more physical, and they were more physical. I thought they matched their intensity; it just came down to a few more plays."