The season of growth and change continues for the Hutchinson girls hockey team, now 7-8-1 following the splits of a pair of weekend games.
The Tigers fell 4-2 to visiting Delano/Rockford Friday at Burich Arena, but rebounded for a 4-1 win over Detroit Lakes Saturday at North Dale Recreation Center in St. Paul.
In the Friday matchup with Delano/Rockford, neither team scored in the first period. Hutchinson held a slight edge in shots on goal (10-7) but could not hold the offensive zone effectively.
“We had a couple of hiccups, early,” coach Rustin Neuberger said, after the game. “I thought we had a couple of goals waved off.”
Neuberger revisited his thought after Saturday’s game against Detroit Lakes, that this may have been a turning point for the Hutchinson skaters.
“They (waved off goals) would have made a big difference on the bench,” he said. “One bounced off the back pipe of the net and right back out. The other? The referee didn’t actually see it go into the net, but it was inside the net.”
In the second period, both teams erupted for five total goals. At 3:45, Delano/Rockford forward Kaelyn Wittwer opened the scoring against Hutchinson freshman goaltender Kaiden Fitterer. Assists went to defensemen Audrey McClurg and Ellie Chock.
Hutchinson struck back with two quickies at 6:22 and 6:55 to take the 2-1 lead. It appeared as though the home team was getting stronger as the game went on.
Junior forward Audrey Hanson got Hutchinson on the board — her fifth goal of the season — with junior forward Jolynn Hauan credited with the assist.
Seconds later, sophomore forward Ava Koenen put Hutchinson in front 2-1 against D/R’s goaltender, Kayla Simonson. Sophomore forward Addison Longie and freshman forward Elle Schweim got helpers — the ninth for Longie and seventh for Schweim on the season.
Delano/Rockford senior forward Ava Reierson answered a mere two minutes later, with an assist by sophomore Kayleigh Olson, to make it even, 2-2.
Wittwer scored the game winner at 12:27 in the third. The goal came unassisted, on the penalty kill.
“I thought we dominated, especially in the third period,” Neuberger said. “Our ratio was pretty high in the attacking zone.”
Hutchinson had 17 shots on goal to D/R’s five.
“It was really fun on the bench, the entire game, regardless of the score,” Neuberger said.
Delano/Rockford defenseman Meg Mauch closed out the game at 10:57 of the third, with assist by Reierson.
“The girls knew they were dominant,” Neuberger said. “It was a good atmosphere, it just didn’t show up on the scoreboard, tonight.”
The scoreboard turned in the Tigers’ favor one day later as they won 4-1, sending Detroit Lakes to it’s 16th loss of the season.
Detroit Lakes’ junior defenseman Jaelynn Jensen opened the scoring in the second period with an unassisted, goal.
The telling fact of Hutchinson’s game was its offensive explosion. Lakers’ goaltender Talyn Anderson was put in an ominous position, facing an astounding 72 shots on goal.
“One hundred three shots on goal in two games is huge!” Neuberger said. “It’s like the light bulb went off, and now we’re developing some consistency.”
Hutchinson junior forward Kohle Fitterer pulled the Tigers even on the power play. Hauan and junior forward Ava Pulkrabek got the helpers.
Hutchinson’s eighth grade defenseman Isabella Berthiaume got the game-winning goal, her first and only goal so far in a Hutchinson Tigers varsity sweater. The goal came 7:48 in the second period, unassisted.
Longie made it 3-1 at 10:50 in the second, her 11th goal on the season, with assists to Schweim and sophomore Lily Docken.
Koenen made it 4-1 at 5:42 of the third period with an unassisted goal, her third goal of the season.
Hutchinson was schedule to travel Monday to Victoria for a makeup game delayed earlier by weather, then return to Burich Arena for a home game Tuesday, Jan. 24, for a showdown with area rival Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato.
