Second-seeded Aberdeen slips past top-seeded Sioux Falls in tourney championship
WATERTOWN — The Aberdeen Cougars are again sitting on top as the best varsity girls team in the South Dakota Amateur Hockey Association.
Rylee Hepper's short-handed goal with 13 minutes remaining in the third period lifted the second-seeded Cougars past the top-seeded Sioux Falls Flyers 1-0 in the championship game of the 2024 SDAHA state tourney in the Prairie Lakes Ice Arena.
It's the first state title for Aberdeen since 2021.
The two teams had split two regular-season meetings including a 2-1 decision in overtime in the regular-season finale that gave Sioux Falls the top seed over Aberdeen.
Sunday's game was just as close. Sioux Falls did hold a 23-14 advantage in shots but wasn't able to find the net against an Aberdeen defense led by goaltender Chloe Vikander.
After two scorless periods, Hepper and the Cougars took advantage by finding the net off a feed from teammate Morgan Jones.
That was enough for Vikander, who helped her team finish a 14-3 season against SDAHA foes. The Flyers were 15-2 in the SDAHA.
More: Aberdeen, Sioux Falls girls hockey advance to SDAHA's state finals
In Sunday's other games, the third-seeded Mitchell Marlins (11-5-1) slipped past the fourth-seeded Oahe Capitals (9-7-1) 4-3 for third place and the defending champion and fifth-seeded Brookings Rangers (9-8) blanked the sixth-seeded Rushmore Thunder (5-12) 3-0 in the consolation championship.
Brynlee Sabers, Reese Amick, Makenna Tronjnes and Livaya Mimmack each scored for Mitchell. Tristen Zimmer had two assists and Sabers one. Eva Ramm stopped 13 shots in net.
Brylee Kafka had two goals and Dakota McEntaffer one for Oahe. Elliot Bertsch, Aubrey Stewart Micah Buffalo and Ava Lavinger each recorded assists. Goalie Sophia Peschong tallied 21 saves.
Kenzey Grendler had two goals and Sawyer Triplett one for Brookings. Anna Rasmussen notched two assists and Miyah Foerster, Maya Edmison and Ava Kahle one each. Rorii Quam produced 23 saves.
Claire Larson garnered 35 saves for Rushmore.
A number of season awards were presented during a tourney banquet on Friday night at Lake Area Technical College.
All-State Teams
First-team honorees include forwards Ragyn Peska of Sioux Falls, Sabers and Kafka; defenders Rylan Peska of Sioux Falls and Tronnes; and goalie Fornwald.
More: Three-day varsity girls' hockey state tournament set to run Friday through Sunday
Forwards Rachel Siefken and Kailyn Poppen of Aberdeen and Zoe Gorra of Sioux Falls were named to the second team along with defenders Amick and Paige Zimiga of Rushmore and goalie Vikander.
Robert Weimeister of Aberdeen earned Coach of the Year honors.
Other Awards
Hobey Baker Character Awards — Team winners of the award presented for character, committment, persistence, selflessness, academic excellence and sportsmanship include Jones (Aberdeen), Alayna Youngbluth (Oahe), Camille McCord (Sioux Center), Ramm (Mitchell), Lillie Hoffman (Rushmore), Rylan Peska (Sioux Falls) and Kaelyn Melville (Watertown).
Academic All-State — Players must be seniors, have participated in SDAHA hockey for at least three years and maintained a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Honorees include Jones, Poppen and Alli Stoltenburg of Aberdeen; Shelby Timm and Jolie Carillo of Huron; Youngbluth of Oahe; Larson and Hoffman of Rushmore; McCord, Jaiden Cannegieter, Toni Stevens and Elyssa Van Den Berg of Sioux Center; Fornwald, Rylan Peska and Karissa Pederson of Sioux Falls; and Melville and Rylie Redlin of Watertown.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Champion game details from the SDAHA varsity girls state hockey tourney
