PeeWees win A, B State Championship; 14U Girls place 3rd

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PEEWEE A

The Brookings Red Rangers capped off a stellar weekend of hockey with an 8-0 shutout of top-seeded Rushmore on Sunday at Larson Ice Center to win the PeeWee A State Tournament.

Brookings skated to a 12-1 win over Huron in Friday’s opening round, and then, downed Aberdeen, 7-3, in the semifinals to advance to Sunday’s title game.

Sunday’s Championship

 Brookings 8, Rushmore 0

The Rangers took control early as Breck Hiffshoff took the puck off the opening faceoff and planted it past Rushmore’s just 20 seconds into play.

A minute later, Jacob Kahle found the back of the net off assists from Owen Schneider and Eli Johnson to push the Rangers’ advantage to 2-0 before Schneider tallied his first goal of the match just four minutes into play for the 3-0 lead after one.

Brookings converted on a power-play opportunity 4 minutes into the second period when Kahle lit the lamp with an unassisted tally for his second goal of the game.

Half a minute later, Zach Struck scored on another power-play goal as Schneider picked up the assist as the Rangers led 5-0 through two periods.

Seconds into the final frame, the Rangers sent the game into run time when Schneider scored an unassisted, short-handed goal.

Less than 5 minutes later, Schneider scored his third goal off a Hirrschoff helper for a 7-0 lead.

With less than a minute to play, Struck provided for the final margin as the Rangers claimed the state championship with Addison Ronning getting the shutout win in goal with 23 saves.

Saturday’s Semifinal

 Brookings 7, Aberdeen 3

The Rangers took the early lead when Luke Honkomp found the back of the net off an assist from Schneider. After the Cougars scored to tie the game at 1-1, Jack Merritt tallied an unassisted goal with 30 seconds left in the first to send Brookings into the intermission with a 2-1 edge.

Aberdeen scored 30 seconds into the second period to knot it up at 2-2 before the Rangers scored three goals over 61 seconds midway through the period to take control. Kahle scored back-to-back goals – the first unassisted and the second set up by Hirrschoff – before Schneider lit the lamp off another Hirrschoff helper. Jacob Peterson’s power-play goal off a Struck setup with 5:29 left in the second gave Brookings a 6-2 lead heading into the final frame.

Peterson notched an unassisted goal 2 minutes into the third to make it 7-2 and then, Aberdeen scored midway through for the final margin.

Ronning finished with 16 saves as Brookings held a 35-19 advantage in shots.

Friday’s Quarterfinal

 Brookings 12, Huron 1

The Rangers scored three times in the first period as Hirrschoff tallied an unassisted goal less than a minute into play before Honkomp found the back of the net on a power-play chance off a Hirrschoff helper less than a minute later. Struck made it 3-0 with  3 1/2 minutes left in the period as Kahle and Merritt earned the assists.

Johnson converted another power-play opportunity early in the second period as Hirrschoff and Honkomp helped, and then, Merritt made it 5-0 off assists from Kahle and Miles Merhib. The Rangers lit the lamp two more times less than a minute apart when Peterson and Struck found the back of the net as Merritt and Johnson picked up assists on Peterson’s tally. Struck pushed Brookings’ lead to 8-0 with 1:40 to play in the second as Brink earned the assist.

Peterson scored two minutes into the third period off a Struck setup before Struck tallied back-to-back goals – the first unassisted and the second helped by Hirrschoff on a power play. Hirrschoff closed the scoring with another power-play goal with 3 seconds to play as Ronning picked up the win in goal with 17 saves.

PEEWEE B

The fourth-seeded PeeWee Blue Rangers pulled off a pair of upsets to win the PeeWee B State Tournament in Sioux Falls over the weekend. Brookings defeated third-seeded Aberdeen PeeWee B1, 2-0, in Sunday’s title game to claim the championship. The Rangers opened tournament play with a 6-2 win over Rushmore 1 before knocking off previously undefeated and top-seeded Rushmore 2, 3-2, in Saturday’s semifinals.

The PeeWee White Rangers went 1-2 as they lost 7-0 to Rushmore 2 in their opener, and then, dropped a 4-0 decision to Rushmore 1 on Satuday. But the Rangers bounced back with a 7-4 win over Sioux Falls 2 to claim seventh place.

PeeWee Blue

Sunday’s Championship

 Brookings 2, Aberdeen 0

After a scoreless first period, Aidan Austreim broke the deadlock 3 minutes into the second off a Garrett Bothe assist as the Rangers led 1-0 through two period.

Brookings added an insurance goal with less than a minute to play when Gage Peterson tallied an unassisted power-play goal for the final margin.

Egan Jensen finished with 21 saves for the shutout win in goal as Aberdeen held a 21-11 edge in shots.

Saturday’s Semifinal

 Brookings 3, Rushmore 2

The Rangers jumped out to a three-goal lead and then held on to defeat the top-seeded Thunder, 3-2, and advance to the title game.

Austreim netted the puck just 31 seconds into the game as Brookings led 1-0 after one.

Jordan Raatz made it 2-0 with an unassisted goal 22 seconds into the second, and then, added his second goal with 8:58 remaining in the period as Nathan Brecher earned the assist.

Rushmore scored to close within 3-1 through two and then scored its second goal midway through the third, but the Rangers held on as Jensen collected 22 saves for the win.

 Brookings 6, Rushmore 2

The Thunder got on the scoreboard first before Gavan Stewart lit the lamp off a Bothe assist to tie the game with 6:38 to play in the first period. Peterson found the back of the net with an unassisted tally with 3:32 left to send the Rangers into the first intermission with a 2-1 lead.

Peterson scored less than 90 seconds into the second off another Bothe helper before Bothe found the back of the net with the assist going to Stewart as Brookings led 4-1 through two.

Rushmore scored early in the third to get within 4-2, but the Rangers answered as Peterson scored two more goals – the first set up by Jack Lee and the second helped by Austreim – for the 6-2 final as Jensen earned the win in goal.

PeeWee White

Sunday’s Seventh-Place Game

 Brookings 7, Sioux Falls 4

The Rangers built a 2-0 lead after a period as Ren Jacobsen tallied an unassisted goal before Cooper Deatherage lit the lamp off a Carson Odde assist as Brookings led 2-0 after a period.

After the Flyers scored to make it 2-1 early in the second, Deatherage notched an unassisted goal to push the lead back to two goals with 11:37 left in the second. Sioux Falls scored a minute later, but the Rangers tacked on three more second-period goals for a 6-2 edge through two. Andrew Sternhagen found the back of the net off a Deatherage setup; Odde scored 15 seconds later off another Deatherage helper; and then, Cole Schaller added an unassisted tally with 4:07 to play in the period.

Sioux Falls scored twice to open the third to get within 6-4, but Odde added an insurance goal with 3:45 on the clock as Deatherage picked up another assist as Brayden Bingham finished with 19 saves for the win in goal.

Saturday’s Consolation Semi

 Rushmore 4, Brookings 0

The Thunder scored one goal in each of the first two periods before tacking on two in the third for the 4-0 win. Bingham collected 25 saves as the Thunder held a 29-22 edge in shots.

Friday’s Quarterfinal

 Rushmore 7, Brookings 0

The undefeated Thunder scored three goals in each of the first two periods before adding one in the third for the 7-0 win. Rushmore outshot the Rangers, 25-24, as Bingham collected 18 saves.

14U GIRLS

The 14U Rangers lost their opening game of the 14U State Tournament, but rebounded for a pair of wins to place third. Huron rallied for a 7-5 win on Friday night, but Brookings came back to post an 8-0 shutout of Sioux Center and then defeated Aberdeen, 4-2, to in the third-place game.

Third-Place Game

 Brookings 4, Aberdeen 2

Kiran Vugteveen lit the lamp in the first period off an Addie Ramlo assist for a 1-0 Ranger lead after one.

Vugteveen tallied an unassisted goal early in the second before Savannah Barber scored a short-handed goal off a Jadyn Kuehl assist as Brookings led 3-0 through two.

Barber added an unassisted goal in the third to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead before the Cougars scored two late goals for the final margin.

Heidi Merriman finished with 13 saves as Brookings held a 27-15 edge in shots.

 Brookings 8, Sioux Center 0

The Rangers scored three goals in the first; added four in the second; and then, tacked on a single in the third for the final margin as Merriman collected three saves for the shutout win in goal.

Kuehl opened the scoring as Taylor Hokenson and Payton Triplett earned the assists before Vugteveen found the back of the net off another Hokenson helper. Hokenson made it 3-0 with an unassisted tally heading into the first intermission.

Barber and Vugteveen traded off lighting the lamp in the second period as both scored twice, with Jayda Geraets setting up Vugteveen’s second goal as Brookings led 7-0 through two.

Vugteveen notched her fourth goal of the game late in the third period with Aletha Baker picking up the assist.

 Huron 7, Brookings 5

The Rangers led 5-0 after the first period before Huron came back to score once in the second and then added six tallies in the third for the win.

Barber opened and closed the first-period scoring with unassisted goals while in between, Julissa Peterson lit the lamp off an Ella Park assist; Vugteveen tallied an unassisted goal; and Kuehl scored off a Hokenson helper.

But the All-Stars limited Brookings to four shots the rest of the way as they rallied to pull out the two-goal win.

Huron outshot the Rangers, 32-12, as Merriman came up with 25 saves in the loss.

JUNIOR VARSITY BOYS

The Ranger JV posted a 1-2 league mark over the weekend as Brookings beat Mitchell, 3-0, on Friday before dropping a 3-2 decision to Oahe on Saturday and a 2-1 setback to Boji on Sunday.

The Rangers, fifth in the SDAHA standings with a 15-9 record, close their regular season with a Thursday matchup against Watertown at Larson Ice Center before playing host to Aberdeen on Sunday.

 Brookings 3, Mitchell 0

The Rangers scored once in each period to claim the three-goal win as Philip Kuechenmeister finished with 22 saves for the shutout in goal.

Luc Bouchard lit the lamp late in the first off assists from Jack McCarty and Dylan Park; and then, Bouchard tacked on an unassisted goal late in the second.

McCarty converted on a power-play opportunity early in the third as Riley Jacobsen picked up the assist.

 Oahe 3, Brookings 2

After a scoreless first period, Oahe scored midway through the second before Nick Jonas cashed in on a power-play chance to tie the game at 1-1 through two. Park and Kane Kurtenbach assisted on Jonas’ tally.

Early in the third, the Capitals scored back-to-back goals in a 30-second span to take a 3-1 lead that proved to be enough as the Rangers could only close within one on Kane Kurtenbach’s unassisted tally midway through the third, despite outshooting Oahe, 44-23.

Reis Jacobsen had 14 saves on 17 shots while Kuechenmeister collected six saves over the final 14 1/2 minutes of play.

 Boji 2, Brookings 1

After a scoreless first period, Boji scored on a power-play chance for the early lead, but the Rangers tied the game at 1-1 heading into the third on Jordan Svobodyn’s goal as Brenden Matheny earned the assist.

The visitors, who held a 27-14 edge in shots, scored midway through the third on a power play to pick up the win as Kuechenmeister finished with 25 saves in the loss.

BANTAMS

The Bantam Rangers went 2-1 over their final weekend of league play as they beat Mitchell, 5-1, on Friday; shut out Oahe, 5-0, on Saturday, but fell 4-2 to Huron on Sunday.

On Friday, Brookings takes on Aberdeen in the first round of the Bantam A State Tournament in Rapid City.

 Brookings 5, Mitchell 1

The Rangers dominated play from the get-go, as they outshot the Marlins, 42-13, with Carter Schulz coming up with 12 saves for the win in goal.

Logan Bortnem and Wes Koenig scored in the first period as Ashton Witte and Trenton Pederson earned assists on Bortnem’s tally and Caden Krogman set up Koenig.

In the second period, Brookings sandwiched a pair of goals around a Mitchell score to lead 4-1 through two as Witte and Koenig lit the lamp with the respective assists going to Bortnem, and then, Brody Powers and Witte.

Krogman added a power-play goal in the third for insurance as Talon Richter and Witte earned assists.

 Brookings 5, Oahe 0

The Rangers outshot the Caps, 36-15, as Schulz earned the shutout win in goal.

Koenig opened the first-period scoring off a Richter helper, and then, the two switched two minutes later when Koenig set up Richter for the two-goal lead. Richter cashed in on a power-play opportunity late in the first with Witte earning the assist as Brooking led 3-0 after one.

In the second period, Pederson pushed the lead to four goals midway through as Jacob Drew picked up the assist before Koenig tallied an unassisted goal with 2:48 left in the second to close out the scoring.

 Huron 4, Brookings 2

Huron scored twice in the first period and then scored two more goals in the third after the Rangers tied the game at 2-2 early in the final frame.

Powers netted the puck with 1:03 left in the second to pull Brookings within 2-1 through two.

Koenig lit the lamp less than 3 minutes into the third off a Richter helper, but the All-Stars answered with two goals over the final 12 minutes for the win, despite the Rangers holding a 40-19 advantage in shots.

Schulz finished with 15 saves in the loss.

Left photo: The PeeWee Red Rangers won the PeeWee A State Tournament held at Larson Ice Center over the weekend as they defeated Rushmore, 8-0, in Sunday’s championship game. Members of the team include (from left): Front – Addison Ronning and Luke Honkomp; Kneeling – Jack Merritt, Chase Karch, Breck Hirrschoff, Jacob Peterson, Owen Schneider and Miles Merhib; Standing – Coach Jason Hirrschoff, Jacob Kahle, David Brink, Eli Johnson, Zach Struck, Coach Carter Roach and Coach Cody Honkomp.

Right photo: The PeeWee Blue Rangers won the PeeWee B State Tournament held at Scheels Ice Plex over the weekend as they defeated Aberdeen, 2-0, in Sunday’s championship game. Members of the team include (from left): Front – Egan Jensen; Kneeling – Nathan Brecher, Aidan Austreim, Jacob Ramlo, Jordan Raatz and Wyatt Carlson; Back row – Coach Isaac Rounds, Jack Lee, Garrett Bothe, Brayden Klingbile, Gavan Stewart, Koen Beinhorn, Gage Peterson and Coach Tanner Swets.