Eagles ousted from playoffs

BY JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETER -- The Albert Lea Tigers scored three second period goals in a span of just over three minutes to turn a precarious 2-1 lead into a comfortable 5-1 lead and end New Ulm's season with a 6-3 win Saturday afternoon in a Section 1A quarterfinal hockey game at Don Roberts Arena.

Dave Hitchcock, Brett Burgau and Jay Geisthardt each scored a goal -- Hitchcock and Burgau's scores were unassisted -- while Adam Macho assisted on Geisthardt's goal.

It was a game that saw the Eagles dominated by Albert Lea through the first period and a half, outshooting New Ulm 28-16, but only holding a 2-1 lead.

However, the Tigers, who will meet Mankato East, a 9-1 winner over Mankato West for the Section 1A title, gave themselves a cushion with three quick goals.

It was something that New Ulm coach Tom Macho said that he has seen before.

"If you look throughout our season this year, there has always been one mental lapse on our part," he said. "We have had a span of five or six minutes in every game where we do not play well. If the other team scores some goals in that time, we are in trouble.."

Albert Lea did and the Eagles were as they outshot New Ulm 45-23 in the game.

Alex Lair scored his first goal of the game when New Ulm goalie Tyler Zollner stopped a hard slap shot by Dustin Trail but Lair put the hard rebound by Zollner for a 3-1 lead at the 13:25 mark.

It would be Lair again who would score his second goal of the game less than two minutes later on a backhander for a 4-1 lead at the 15:26 mark.

Jon Breuer then made it 5-1 when he stole the puck just inside the Tiger blue line and put the puck in the net for a four-goal cushion with 36 seconds left in the second period.

"When we got down like that, we had to change our offense and look for the long pass out of our zone," Macho said. "Our forwards wanted to do it all and skate out. We needed them back in the zone -- we had trouble breaking it out because they were trying to make the long pass. A couple of those long passes (late in the second period) were picked off and they had two goals."

The Eagles would try and battle back in the third period when Burgau beat Tiger freshman goalie Clay Casanova at the 5:26 mark before New Ulm cut the lead on a power play goal by Geisthardt on a wrist shot at the 12:46 mark.

But the Tigers' Corey Ellenson scored an empty-net goal with 17 seconds left in the game.

Going into the game, Macho said that he was worried about getting off to a fast start and putting the Tigers in a quick hole.

But it was Albert Lea who jumped to a fast start when Beau Larson pushed back-hander by Zollner 1:05 into the game.

It was a period that saw the Tigers fire 11 shots on goal before the Eagles recorded their first.

"Starting out fast was one of our keys to the game," Macho said. "And we did not do that. We got behind and we had to battle back the whole time."

New Ulm's Hitchcock would knot the game at 1-1 on a power play when Hitchcock got his backhander by Casanova at the 10:21 mark.

Breuer's goal gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead; it was a lead that they would not lose.

"When we got behind,we had to change our style," Macho said. "But they pressured us all game. That was their strategy because their goaltender is inexperienced. They wanted to make sure he did not face a lot of shots. They just really pressured us."

"I just wished that we could have come out better than we did," Macho said. "Tyler played a great game -- he gave us five goals but he had 39 saves.."

NEW ULM 1 0 2 -- 3

ALBERT LEA 2 3 1 -- 6

FIRST PERIOD

AL: Beau Larson (Ellerson) 1:05. NU: Dave Hitchcock (unassisted) 10:21. AL: Jon Breuer (unassisted) 16:43.

SECOND PERIOD

AL: Alex Lair (Trail, Larson) 13:25. AL: Lair (Dugstad) 15:26. AL: Breuer (unassisted ) 16:34.

THIRD PERIOD

NU: Brett Burgau (unassisted) 5:26. NU: Jay Geisthardt (Macho) 12:46. AL: Ellerson (Schumacher) 16:43.