Trojans upend Packers
Published 11:34 pm Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Austin's Marie Clennon gets hung up with New Prague's Brittany Sticha going for the puck in the corner during the third period of their game Tuesday in the Steve's Pizza/Austin Merchants Hot Shots Hockey Tournament at Riverside Arena. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Slow start leads to 8-3 loss to New Prague
New Prague took advantage of a flat-footed Austin team Tuesday, taking an 8-3 win in the second day of the Austin Hot Shots Girls Hockey Tournament at Riverside Arena.
With a two goal lead coming out of the first period, the Trojans (7-6-0) exploded for four more goals in the second period, putting the game out of reach of an Austin team (6-9-0) who struggled with puck control and penalties for much of the game.
“We didn’t come out with desire,” coach Denny Bray said. “We had no heart today. (New Prague) wanted it more than we did.”
New Prague's Dani Kocina zeroes in on the goal during the first period against Austin Tuesday afternoon during the second day of the Steve's Pizza/Austin Merchants Hot Shots Hockey Tournament at Riverside Arena. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The Trojans blistered Austin goalie Allison Hoban with 42 shots on the day while holding Austin to just 17 shots overall, and only three in the third period alone.
“She’s only an eighth-grader,” Bray said. “This is a learning experience and we wanted to see how she bounced back.”
Austin’s shot total was far below their average of around 32 shots a game so far this season.
Defensively, the Packers struggled to keep the Trojans out of their end and gave up several good looks to New Prague early on, including three consecutive looks in front of Hoban during a power-play flurry in the first period.
Hoban and the Packers killed the power play, but it set the tone.
“We just didn’t play a real good defensive game,” Bray said. “We started chasing the puck.”
Austin seemed to be on the verge of holding the surging Trojans at bay, but New Prague finally managed to get on the board when Kasey Marquardt scored with just under five minutes remaining in the first, unassisted.
Mikaela Algren gave New Prague a 2-0 lead just about a minute later when her shot bounced off the front of Hoban and trickled in behind her.
Algren would later add two more goals, one each in the second and third periods and both power play goals. She also had an assist.
New Prague expanded their lead to 6-0 before Austin could break the team’s scoring drought when Abby Gallaher scored a shorthanded goal late in the second period with an assist to Carley Grunewald.
Austin's Carissa Johnson chases after the puck during the second period against New Prague Tuesday afternoon during the second day of the Steve's Pizza/Austin Merchants Hot Shots Hockey Tournament at Riverside Arena. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Grunewald scored herself at the 9:11 mark of the third period, unassisted, but the New Prague lead would balloon to 8-2 before Chloe Summerfield scored Austin’s final goal at the 5:59 mark with the assist going to Teigen Petersen.
“I felt we could have played with this team,” Bray said. “The third period I thought we skated a little harder, had a little more drive.”
Austin will play Windom, who so far has been outscored this tournament 32-0, today at 3 p.m. while New Prague will play Tartan at 12:30 p.m.
New Prague 2 4 2 — 8
Austin 0 1 2 — 3
First period
NP — Kasy Marquardt (unassisted), 4:49
NP — Mikaela Algren, 3:41 (Dani Wimes, Marquardt), 3:41
Second period
NP — Algren PP (Jordan Anderson), 13:54
NP — Anderson (Abby Bisek), 7:40
NP — Dani Kocina (Marquardt), 4:48
NP — Kocina (Marquardt), 2:49
A — Abby Gallaher (Carley Grunewald), 2:24
Third period
A — Grunewald (unassisted), 9:11
NP — Algren PP (unassisted), 8:39
NP — Lindsay Paschke (Algren), 6:38
A — Chloe Summerfield (Teigen Petersen), 5:59
Shots: NP 42, A 17. Penalties: NP 2, A 8
