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Breandan Gibbons

Senior Catherine Johnson made 27 saves on 30 shots on goal and give up the game winner after a defensive zone turnover.

The girls hockey team went seventeen games without a loss to start their season, now three games later they have lost twice with no end in sight to the winning drought. Alright, that is a little melodramatic, even so, United now has one win in their last four games and goes against now top ranked Breck tonight at Drake Arena for their Lace up for Leukemia game in a tough IMAC clash that could prove to be a state preview game.

On Saturday, St. Paul United played the twelfth ranked team in class 2A, Dodge County, who made the 80 minute bus ride up to Drake Arena, in a tough non-conference, non-class, benchmark game. One might expect the Dodge County Wildcats to be the team that came out sluggish with their bus legs, however, United came out flat for the first two periods and was outplayed and outshot by the Wildcats for the first two periods 18-8. Dodge County finally broke through about halfway through the second period on the powerplay.

Coming out of the second intermission United was a different team. They won the opening faceoff, created a 2-on-1 and eight grader Jenna Hoops (Vis) cut across the crease and netted her fourth goal of the year to tie the game.

United continued the high pressure throughout the period, getting eight shots on net in the first seven minutes of the period while only having eight shots through the first two periods total. This pressure culminated in freshman Catherine Kerrin’s goal off of a Sena Hanson blast from the point. The goal came at 8:46 of the third period. From that point on United had one shot.

This is the part of the story that gets a little bit cliché. With the net empty and thirty seconds remaining Dodge County needed a goal to tie the game. Then in “Hollywood” fashion, Hollywood Hermanson scored with 10.3 seconds left to tie the game and send it to OT. Where Olivia Smallbrock picked up a turnover in the defensive end from United and was left all alone against Catherine Johnson. Smallbrock used a nice move and netted the winner for Dodge County.

Tonight, United plays a Breck team that is now the top ranked team in the state after beating former number one Blake 1-0 a little over a week ago. The game is the annual Lace up for Leukemia game, it starts at 7:30 at Drake Arena.