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January 28, 2000
Eagle skaters top FairmontBy BOB VARMETTE Journal Sports Writer NEW ULM -- For the seven New Ulm High Eagles seniors, this was their final South Central Conference game. An eighth-grader made sure they went out winners. New Ulm rallied from a one-goal deficit in the first period, getting a pair of goals from eighth-grader Jocelyn Janni, and then held off the Fairmont Cardinals 4-3 Thursday night in an SCC girls hockey game. The loss was the first of the conference schedule for the Cardinals and ensures New Ulm at least a share of the conference crown. "It's the first time we've ever beaten Fairmont," New Ulm coach Dave Kunz said. "It's a first for our program. The girls are just very happy, especially the seniors. It was senior night and a few of them have been here for four years. Going out like this for them is just icing on the cake." The loss was a particularly bitter one for Fairmont (9-7-2, 3-1). The Cardinals did everything but win the game. Fairmont outshot New Ulm (9-10, 5-1) 29 to 13. They owned the first period, outshooting the Eagles 11-2 and the Cardinals looked like they would own the game. But the Cardinals squandered their possession advantage in the first period and went into the first intermission tied at 1. To make matters worse, Fairmont had a first-period goal disallowed for having a player in the crease. That took away Ala Walters' rebound goal. "If the puck's in the crease, then we can be in the crease," Fairmont coach Dave Olson said. "Definitely, I think it was a good goal." And what a difference that goal made. Instead of taking a 2-0 advantage, the Cardinals never recovered. The Eagles tied the game at 1 with 3:08 left in the first when Ashley Dietz coaxed the puck through the legs of Cardinal goalie Maggie Bettin, then added a power-play goal with 1:01 gone in the second when Shelly Gramentz tallied unassisted off a Cardinal turnover in their own end. That put the Eagles up 2-1 even though Fairmont was in control of the game. The scoreboard emboldened the Eagles. "We were in a lot better shape after the first period than against Mankato," Kunz said referring to the Eagles 3-0 deficit earlier this week. "We knew we could play with them. We knew we could come out and stay with them. ... The girls have a lot of energy, a lot of determination. They felt like they had something to prove." The Eagles were energized after the first period, the Cardinals demoralized. "We lost our tempo," Olson said. "In the first period, we controlled the game, then we gave up that tempo. We made mistakes with the puck, we made mistakes on defense." Janni took advantage. Janni scored the first of her two goals with 10:35 remaining in the second period, beating Bettin to give New Ulm a 3-1 margin. That ended the night for Bettin, who left having faced only five Eagle shots and allowing three goals. Hannah Johnson finished the game, surrendering only one goal on eight shots -- a shot from the top of the left circle by Janni that beat Johnson high on her blocker side to give New Ulm a 4-2 lead. Fairmont added a late power-play goal with 1:05 in the game with its goalie pulled for a two-skater advantage. Gwen Fenrich bounced a shot from the low slot between the legs of Eagles goalie Angie Weisensel. But the Cardinals' final attempts to tie the game and force overtime were all rebuffed. The Eagles' defense, much stronger in the second and third periods after letting Fairmont pretty much skate where they wanted in the first period, clamped down on the Cardinals in the final minute of the game and turned away Fairmont's last chance by winning the game's final draw in the circle to the left of Weisensel. "They're the other team that's good in the conference," Kunz said. "With the win, we're tied for the conference lead. We can finish no worse than co-champs. The girls are pretty proud of that." Fairmont will travel to Waseca Tuesday for an SCC game. New Ulm will be at Faribault Monday. FAIRMONT 1 1 1--3 NEW ULM 1 2 1--4 First period--1, Fairmont, Egeness (Wilson), :39. 2, New Ulm, Dietz (St.Gramentz), 11:52. Penalties--Williams, NUHS (roughing), 4:23; Lake, FHS (high sticking), 14:51. Second period--3, New Ulm, Sh.Gramentz (unassisted), 1:01 (pp). 4, New Ulm, Janni (Williams, St.Gramentz), 4:25. 5, Fairmont, Egeness (unassisted), 13:36 (pp). Penalties--Egeness, FHS (hooking), 1:58; Sh.Gramentz, NUHS (holding), 1:58; Carbert, NUHS (checking), 12:32; Fenrich, FHS (checking), 14:36. Third period--6, New Ulm, Janni (Sh.Gramentz, Williams), 5:16. 7, Fairmont, Fenrich (Wilson), 13:55 (pp). Penalties--Egeness, FHS (checking), 8:01; Johnson, NUHS (tripping), 12:03. Shots on goal--Fairmont 11-8-10--29. New Ulm 2-7-4--13. Goalies--Fairmont, Bettin (5-2); Johnson entered at 4:25 2nd (8-7). New Ulm, Weisensel (29-26).
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