Hutch skates past Eagles

By PAUL DUNLAP

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- The Hutchinson girls hockey team got a goal and two assists from Amy Glasser Tuesday night, skating to a 3-1 win over New Ulm High at Vogel Arena.

The loss drops the Eagles to 10-3-1 on the season. They will host St. Peter in a South Central Conference matchup Thursday at 7 p.m.

"They (Hutch) are a good team, but we just didn't have our 'A' game tonight," New Ulm coach Todd Nelson said. "It was our 'B' game at best."

It looked better than that early, though, as the Eagles dominated play through the early minutes. It would be Glasser who got her team going as she beat Eagle goalie Jenny Neveln at the 4:46 mark unassisted, and with that the Tigers would never trail.

"We came out hard the first eight minutes or so, but then I don't know what happened," Nelson said. "We were a different team, and they pounded us for the final seven minutes after that goal."

A tripping penalty to Hutch's Brittany Hanson at the 9:07 mark of the second gave New Ulm a man advantage, and it wouldn't take long for the Eagles to capitalize as Caitlin Nelson came around behind the net and bounced the puck off Tiger goalie Jamie Ellig's shoulder and into the net.

"We came out hard again in the second (period) and popped in a goal," Todd Nelson said. "But then we let down again, and some penalties killed us at the end of the period."

Two different calls, one for interference and the other for tripping, gave Hutch a 5-on-3 power play in the final 1:30 of the period. Jaselyn Asp took advantage as she took a pass from Glasser and beat Neveln at the 14:07 mark to regain the one-goal advantage. Brittany Theis then added to the lead at 1:40 of the third, again on Glasser's assist, to produce the final margin.

"We just didn't do what we were supposed to do," Nelson said. "Jenny (Neveln, with 17 saves) played another good game for us, but as a whole we didn't play very well tonight ... compared to how we're capable of playing."

The Eagles had two excellent chances to cut into the lead late in the third period, but Ellig was up to the challenge both times as the Tigers were able to hold on for the win.

"We had some shots ... actually out-shot (Hutch, 25-20)," Nelson said. "We just weren't able to do what we know we can do."

HUTCHINSON 1 1 1--3

NEW ULM 0 1 0--1

FIRST PERIOD

H-Amy Glasser (unassisted) 4:46.

SECOND PERIOD

NU-Caitlin Nelson (unassisted) PP 9:33; H-Jaselyn Asp (Glasser) PP 14:07.

THIRD PERIOD

H-Brittany Theis (Glasser) 1:40.

Saves: Hutch (Jamie Ellig) 7-9-8 -- 24; NU (Jenny Neveln) 9-4-4 -- 17.