Sports
UPDATED: North Wright County Skates to State Tournament Behind Youth Movement
Spurred by members of a team that stole State glory a couple of years ago, the RiverHawks are back in "The Tourney."
UPDATE (11 p.m. Thursday): The Hawks fell, 5-4 in overtime, to the Lakeville North Panthers in the opening round.
North Wright County led 2-1 after the first period, and used a two-goal flury in the final five minutes to tie the game and send it to overtime, capped by goals by Maddi Sjelin and Kaleigh Hamann.
But in the overtime, North got a loose puck and fired a shot on Alex LaMere, who surrendered a rebound and could only watch as the puck was slammed home with three minutes left in the first extra period.
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The Hawks will skate today at noon in the consolation bracket vs. Irondale. That game is at noon at Ridder Arena.
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It seems like yesterday at the North Wright County Riverhawks 14U team was shocking the state, skating away with the hardware at the state tournament in 2011.
Now, it's a bit more "real."
Dani Sibley was a sophomore then, skating in her own state tournament, a disappointing weekend that saw the RiverHawks fall in the opening round, and then get stifled in the consolation semifinal by a hot goalie.
Now, it's time for those two teams to come together. The RiverHawks-comprised of St. Michael-Albertville, Monticello and Annandale skaters-face off against Lakeville North in the final game of the opening round Thursday at 8 p.m.
The 14U team is contributing, big time, to a state tournament run that saw the RiverHawks shutout their opponents by a combined score of 15-0. And the veterans-such as Sibley, captian Maddi Sjelin and others-are hoping to combine with that youth movement to get the program's first-ever MSHSL state tournament win.
You can listen to tonight's game on KRWC.com by clicking the link, or through affiliates at MSBN.com if that stream isn't working.
In either place, you'll have to find the game by clicking on the button (KRWC) in the corner, or finding the game listing on Channel 2 (MSBN).
Prep45.com is also livestreaming, but the coverage has been spotty throughout the girls' hockey tournament thus far.
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