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Dodge County's historic season comes to an end with setback in Class 1A state title game

jason feldman, post-bulletin, rochester, minn.
·6 min read

Feb. 24—ST. PAUL — A shot just a bit wide or just a little too high.

A pass that was just out of the reach of a teammate.

An unfortunate bounce that ended up in the back of the wrong net.

Saturday, in the biggest game in Dodge County girls hockey history, everything was just a tiny bit off. And against a traditional powerhouse like Warroad, a tiny bit can make a huge difference.

At the final buzzer, the Xcel Energy Center scoreboard read Warroad 5, Dodge County 2 in the Class 1A girls hockey state championship game.

The Warriors celebrated their fifth state championship. Dodge County will, in time, celebrate the history it made. It will celebrate its first-ever trip to state and its first-ever trip to the state title game. It will celebrate its 23 wins, including two this week at the Xcel Energy Center. At some point, the memories of the journey will overtake the memories of the final result.

"We've had our ups and downs at times this season, and that was kind of the game today," Wildcats coach Jeremy Gunderson said. "We looked like we were back in our U12 days early in the game at times, then looked like a million bucks in the last 10 minutes of the game. I'm so proud of what these girls did all season, super proud of what they did in the tournament ... just a lot of emotion right now."

The Wildcats set a new benchmark for a program that has been on the rise for a decade. The 2023-24 team — led by seniors Abby Simons, McKenna LaFleur, Alyse Williamschen and Jeri Eberling — went 23-5-0, allowed more than three goals in game just twice all season, had the state's best penalty kill, the second-best goals-per-game average and a power play that was among the five best in Class 1A.

They also were the emotional and/or on-ice leaders for a team that won a section championship and then won twice at state, becoming the first Section 1-1A team to reach the state championship game since the tournament went to an eight-team format in 2007.

"I think it's ... we've had an unreal season and it's been so awesome to be a part of this program," said Simons, who ended her senior season with seven goals and 35 points. "I've really enjoyed my time as a Wildcat and getting to come to the state tournament and make some history with these girls is really cool."

That good stuff was difficult to focus on for the players here Saturday evening, though, the realization of just missing out on capturing the state's ultimate prize in its ultimate tournament leaving a sour taste.

"We learned this is possible. I mean; we're here," Wildcats junior forward Nora Carstensen said. "I think last year, when we lost in the section final to even get here, we had a lot of grit. We knew what we had to do in the section final this year and we got it done. I think this game just slipped out of our hands and that's going to give us a lot of push and motivation for next year."

On the ice, Dodge County struck first Saturday, but Warroad rallied after that.

Carstensen opened the scoring 3:38 into the game, striking on the game's first power play. Sophomore defender Alexa Van Straaten sent the puck to Carstensen in the left circle and for the third time in the tournament, Carstensen scored from that spot, rifling a wrist shot between two Warriors defenders and over the shoulder of sophomore goalie Payton Rolli.

Warroad tied the score 1-1 with 3:48 to go in the period when Kaiya Sandy carried the puck into Dodge County's end, skated low into the right circle and put a shot into a tight window just under the crossbar and just over the glove-side shoulder of Wildcats goalie Ida Huber.

The Warriors took their first lead just 54 seconds later when a Jaylie French shot squeaked past Huber and trickled into the net to make it 2-1.

Warroad doubled its lead in the first half of the second period. Dodge County fell behind 3-1 early in the second period when it was on the end of a bad bounce. Huber stopped a Taylor Reese shot, but the rebound hit a Wildcats player and bounced into the net. Four minutes later, Vivienne Marcowka took a nice pass from Jaylie French on a give and go, carried it deep, then beat Huber five-hole to make it 4-1.

The Wildcats answered Marcowka's goal with some good pressure from its line of McKenna LaFleur, Zoe Heimer and Daisy Harens. The Wildcats landed a shot on top of the net from near the blue line, the puck bounced wide, then Warroad goalie Payton Rolli stopped McKenna LaFleur on a stuff attempt on the top of the crease. Seconds later, a Wildcats shot slid just inches wide.

Reese added her second of the game 3:34 into the third, when she won a race to a loose puck in the crease and batted in in to make it a 5-1 Warriors lead.

Van Straaten pulled the Wildcats within 5-2 midway through the third period on a shot through traffic, for her seventh goal of the season, an unassisted tally with 9:46 to play.

The Wildcats pressed and pressed in the closing minutes, but couldn't get another one past Rolli.

"I think we did have some of those state championship game jitters," said Huber, who won 22 games and had 10 shutouts in goal this season. "And especially since we're younger, that makes it harder, because we're just not used to this. But we have a lot of underclassmen (who) this was a good experience for, learning how to handle the pressure."

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: F Bella LaMere (Holy Angels), F Zoe Lopez (Orono), D Abby Simons (Dodge County), F Nora Carstensen (Dodge County), F Maysie Koch (Dodge County), G Ida Huber (Dodge County), G Payton Rolli (Warroad), D Jaylie French (Warroad), D Vivienne Marcowka (Warroad), D Katy Comstock (Warroad), F Taylor Reese (Warroad), F Kaiya Sandy (Warroad).

WARROAD 5, DODGE COUNTY 2

Warroad 2-2-1 — 5

Dodge County 1-0-1 — 2

First period — 1. DC, Nora Carstensen 35 (Alexa VanStraaten 11, Maysie Koch 25) 3:38 (pp). 2. W, Kaiya Sandy 18 (unassisted) 13:12. 3. W, Jaylie French 22 (Sophie Johnson 13, Katy Comstock 26) 14:06. Second period — 4. W, Taylor Reese 20 (Sandy 26) 2:48. 5. W, Vivienne Marcowka 7 (French 26, Johnson 14) 6:28. Third period — 6. W, Reese 21 (Madilyn Skogman 19, Sandy 27). 7. DC, VanStraaten 7 (unassisted) 7:14.

Shots on goal — W 11-5-4 — 20; DC 5-5-10 — 20. Goalies — W, Payton Rolli (W, 19-8-0; 18 saves-20 shots); DC, Ida Huber (L, 22-5-0; 15 saves-20 shots). Power-play opportunities — W, 0-for-2; DC, 1-for-1. Penalties — W, 1-2 minutes; DC, 2-4 minutes.