OWATONNA – Anything and everything can happen in the playoffs.

Wednesday, February 16, 2000

OWATONNA – Anything and everything can happen in the playoffs. A case in point was Tuesday’s Section 1A girls’ hockey semifinals at the Four Season Arena in Owatonna.

In the first semifinal, a team with a 7-17 mark on the season, Lakeville, beat the top seed, Owatonna, 6-5.

In the second semifinal, Austin, a team that lost 13-0 in last year’s playoffs, won 3-1, beating Rochester Mayo, the team that had embarrassed them by such an outlandish score a year ago.

The victory was Austin’s first ever over Mayo, which had swept the two-game regular-season series with Austin, winning by a combined score of 9-2.

The two semifinals games had another thing in common besides being upsets. The Huskies and the Spartans were without their leading scorers. Owatonna’s Lindsay Macy, who suffered a broken wrist in a collision with Austin’s Rhianna Jacobs last month, wasn’t cleared to play until Saturday. Meanwhile Mayo was missing Alex Zagaria, who blew out her knee while skiing Sunday. Top-notch defender Molly Bahr also missed the game due to illness.

"We found out Zagaria wouldn’t play when we got here," Austin senior goalie Katie Fedoryk said. "We were pumped up before, but that made us even more excited to play. I hope she recovers quickly because she is a great person and a great player."

As they have throughout her career, the Packers got stellar net minding from Fedoryk. Fedoryk, the only senior on the team, made 26 saves in the game. She just missed recording her sixth shutout of the season. Mayo scored its only goal with little more than a minute to play.

"We tried everything we could to find some way to score," Mayo coach John Gamble said. "We changed lines, had four forwards and one defender on the ice, but we just couldn’t score. If we had stopped the penalty shot it still would have been a 0-0 game."

The Packers were sparked by the successful second-period penalty shot from their leading scorer Rhianna Jacobs.

For almost 25 minutes, there was no scoring in the game. Fedoryk and Kristen Distad were both solid in the nets. Then Jacobs gathered in the puck at center ice. She rushed as hard as she could to the net. In her final two strides, she broke free and Mayo defender Michelle Dornack had to pull her down to stop her from scoring. The referee called a penalty and then crossed his arms calling for a penalty shot.

"I would have done the same thing," Lang said. "You have to stop a goal scorer. They rarely call for a penalty shot."

"It was a gutsy call, but the correct one," said Owatonna coach and observer Mas Fukushima, whose upset defeat was his last as he is retiring from coaching hockey. "That was only the second penalty shot I have seen this year."

"This never happened before," Jacobs said. "I’ve dreamed about making one and that it would be easy. My heart was pounding and I was super nervous. I needed to stay focused. I cut towards the goal and shot for the five hole, between the legs. After I scored my heart beat even harder."

Forty seconds into the third period, Lang put Austin up 2-0.

"I saw Mayo was trying to pass up the middle," Lang said. "I just intercepted it and went for the stick side. Coach Bray told us to shoot at the stick side at the beginning of the game."

Kellie Petersen, with an assist from Melissa Dickhut, pretty much put the game away scoring Austin’s third goal with 6 minutes, 27 seconds remaining in the game. The Lakeville team which had watched intently and cheered on the Packers finally left after Petersen’s score.

The championship game between the Panthers and the Packers takes place Saturday at 2 p.m. in Owatonna. The two squads met in the Farmington Tournament in December, when the Panthers beat Austin 6-0.

"We were without Katie (Fedoryk) in that game," Austin junior defender Lang said. "They beat us pretty good. So we owe it to them too, just like Mayo."

After Austin’s 6-2 quarterfinals win over Rochester John Marshall, Austin coach Denny Bray said that his team set out three goals before their first practice of the year.

The first was to score more goals than they gave up. Right now, the Packers have scored 94 and given up 74. The second was to finish in the top three of the Big Nine which they did, finishing third behind Mayo and Owatonna. The third was to make it to the section finals. All three goals are accomplished. They will now have to make some new ones.

"We’re ready to play Lakeville," Bray said. "They are a fast team and played in the toughest conference in the state. I think we can skate with them. We are 100 percent improved from the first time we played them."

Austin 0 1 2 – 3

Rochester Mayo 0 0 1 – 1

First Period – No scoring.

Second Period – 1, Austin, Rhianna Jacobs, 9:58 (penalty shot).

Third Period – 2, Austin, Bobee Jo Lang, 0:40. 3, Austin, Kellie Petersen (Melissa Dickhut) 8:33. 4, Mayo, Tasa Kostel, 13:54.

Shots on goal – Austin 9-6-5 20. Mayo 7-13-7 27. Penalty Shots – Rhianna Jacobs, Austin, second 9:58 (made). Goalies – Austin, Katie Fedoryk 26-27. Mayo, Kristen Distad 17-20. Penalties - Austin 2-for-4 minutes. Mayo 3-6.