Hutchinson steals win from EaglesNew Ulm plays tough in season opener

By JEN SEAVEY

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- Once again, New Ulm faced Hutchinson in the girls' hockey opener, and once again, Hutchinson won, but not without the Eagles making it a very close game.

The Tigers beat New Ulm 2-1, both of Hutchinson's goals coming in the second quarter during an Eagle lull.

"The letdown was in the second period," co-captain Emily Drexler said. "We've gotta learn to come out hard in the second period -- we came out flat-footed."

But the rest of the game, the Eagles skated with the Tigers, outshooting them 29-24 in the game.

"In the first and third periods, I thought we carried the play," Eagle head coach Dave Kunz said. "We kept it in their zone. We had our chances; we just didn't finish it."

Sam Richter followed up on a shot in the first period, shooting again but bouncing it off the left side of the goal. But Drexler was there to shove the rebound in past the goaltender.

"The key thing was rebounds," Drexler said. "Sammy Jo [Richter] crashed the nets. She's our Oscar the Grouch -- she's our garbage goal-getter."

Several times in the second period, the Eagles sent passes long or missed the first pass out of the zone, allowing Hutchinson chances to dominate the period.

Just 53 seconds into the second period, Hutchinson's Cammey Emans skated from net to net and slipped the puck in to the right just behind New Ulm goalie Kayla Nesvold.

The Eagles also had a goal taken away in the second period. Because he thought the Hutchinson goalie had covered up the puck, the ref blew his whistle just before New Ulm flipped the puck into the goal.

At 11:41 in the second period, Emans poked the puck between Nesvold's legs to make it 2-1.

In the third periods, the Eagles had several near-goals, but could not finish the job.

"It was definitely not a bad game," Drexler said. "We were crashing the net and seeing the ice -- things we worked on all season [last year] were working."

With the exception of the puck going in the goal more than once.

"We have to learn how to finish," Kunz said.

In addition to Drexler and Richter, Kunz thought that the defense did a very good job in the game. The Eagles also had two eighth graders, Korinne O'Connor and Courtney Kral, play in their first varsity game on the same line as sophomore co-captain Tiffany Hoffmann.

As a start to their season, Drexler thinks the Eagles feel good about the game.

"Everyone came together ... and were pretty excited," Drexler said. "It was fun -- an exciting game."

"The girls weren't hanging their heads," Kunz said. "Hutchinson is a tough opponent."

The Eagles (0-1) host Willmar at 7 p.m. Friday.