HURON – The third-seeded Rangers put up a strong fight against Aberdeen in Sunday’s state championship game, but the top-seeded Cougars never trailed in an 11-6 win for their fourth-straight title.
Sioux Falls defeated Mitchell, 2-1, in the third-place game; Watertown took fifth with a 3-2 win over Rushmore; and Oahe downed Omaha, 7-3, for seventh.
Sunday’s Championship
• Aberdeen 11, Brookings 6
The Cougars drew first blood on Kaitlyn Holland’s goal 5 1/2 minutes into the game, but Jadyn Peterson used a Bethany Rennich assist a minute later to tie the game at a goal apiece. Aberdeen scored a pair of goals over the final 7:40 of the frame to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.
Elli Hegdahl cashed in on a power-play chance off another Rennich setup just 34 seconds into the second period, but the Cougars scored back-to-back goals to go up 5-2 with 12:48 to play. Addie Ramlo and Brooklyn Roberts both lit the lamp within a minute of each other to get Brookings within 5-4 as Rennich and Peterson assisted Ramlo, but Aberdeen scored with 9:52 left for a 6-4 advantage.
Hegdahl converted another power-play opportunity with the assists going to Peterson and Carlie Kruse before the Cougars scored on a power-play chance for a 7-5 edge. Peterson got the Rangers within a goal with 3:30 to play as Rennich earned another assist as Aberdeen led 7-6 heading into the final frame.
The Rangers had chances to tie the game on a power-play opportunity early in the third period, but when they came up empty, the Cougars went on to score four unanswered goals for the 11-7 win.
Jadyn Runge finished with 33 saves as Aberdeen held a 44-29 advantage in shots.
ABERDEEN 11, BROOKINGS 6
Brookings 1 5 0 – 7
Aberdeen 3 4 4 – 11
First Period
Scoring: 1. Aberdeen – Kaitlyn Holland (Kensington Eckhoff, Morgan Dean), 11:36. 1. Brookings – Jadyn Peterson (Bethany Rennich), 10:24. 2. Aberdeen – Kensington Eckhoff (unassisted), 7:40. 3. Aberdeen – Haiden Stoltenberg (Morgan Dean), 4:03.Penalties: B, Janaya Kuehl (Tripping), 14:49; B, Elli Hegdahl (Tripping), 6:05.
Second Period
Scoring: 2. Brookings – Elli Hegdahl (Bethany Rennich), pp, 16:26. 4. Aberdeen -– Kensington Eckhoff (unassisted), 13:18. 5. Aberdeen – Kaitlyn Holland (Kensington Eckhoff), 12:48. 3. Brookings – Addie Ramlo (Bethany Rennich, Jadyn Peterson), 11:58. 4. Brookings – Brooklyn Roberts (unassisted), 11:04. 6. Aberdeen – Kensington Eckhoff (unassisted), 9:52. 5. Brookings – Elli Hegdahl (Jadyn Peterson, Carlie Kruse), pp, 7:37. 7. Aberdeen – Kensington Eckhoff (Rhiannon Abel), pp, 4:11. 6. Brookings – Jadyn Peterson (Bethany Rennich), 3:30. Penalties: A, Kensington Eckhoff (Roughing), 16:51; A, Kaitlyn Holland (Holding), 9:01; B, Carlie Kruse (Roughing), 5:03.
Third Period
Scoring: 8. Aberdeen – Kensington Eckhoff (unassisted), 10:24. 9. Aberdeen – Kensington Eckhoff (Emma Ahlberg, Kaitlyn Holland), 9:01. 10. Aberdeen – Kensington Eckhoff (unassisted), sh, 2:11. 11. Aberdeen – Kaitlyn Holland (unassisted), pp, 0:35. Penalties: A, Kensington Eckhoff (Roughing), 13:05; B, Addie Ramlo (Tripping), 6:30; A, Kaitlyn Holland (Tripping), 6:15; B, Brooklyn Roberts (Roughing), 5:35; A, Too Many Men, 2:41; B, Janaya Kuehl (Cross Checking), 1:08.
Power Plays: B 2-4; A 2-6; Shots on Goal: B 10-15-4 – 29; A 15-14-15 – 44; Saves: B, Jadyn Runge 33-44; Hailey Huff 23-29.
Saturday’s Semifinal
• Brookings 6, Sioux Falls 3
The Rangers avenged a trio of regular-season losses to Sioux Falls to advance to the title game.
Rennich set the tone early, scoring an unassisted goal just 39 seconds into play.
After the Flyers tied the game on Gabriella Schroder’s goal, Hegdahl needed just 10 seconds to put Brookings back in the lead with another unassisted goal as the Rangers led 2-1 after one.
Alexa Christie scored early in the second period to tie the game again, but Rennich answered 21 seconds later off a Peterson assist to give the Rangers a 3-2 advantage. The Flyers tied the game on Grace Halvorson’s short-handed goal with 33 seconds left in the period to send the game into the third knotted at 3-3.
Brookings retook the lead 2 minutes into the final period when Montana Myer skated behind the net and set up Hegdahl for a one touch that made it 4-3. Three minutes later, Peterson went top shelf off a Rennich assist for a 5-3 lead. Rennich provided for the final margin with 7:30 left as Peterson and Kruse picked up the assists.
Runge stopped 21 of the 24 shots that she faced to get the win in goal as the Flyers held a 24-23 edge in shots.
BROOKINGS 6, SIOUX FALLS 3
Brookings 2 1 3 – 6
Sioux Falls 1 2 0 – 3
First Period
Scoring: 1. Brookings – Bethany Rennich (unassisted), 16:21. 1. Sioux Falls – Gabriella Schroder (Chloe Harbaugh), 5:03. 2. Brookings – Elli Hegdahl (unassisted), 4:53. Penalties: B, Bethany Rennich (Interference), 11:31.
Second Period
Scoring: 2. Sioux Falls – Alexa Christie (Ashley Anderson, Kaitlyn Vockler), 13:36. 3. Brookings – Bethany Rennich (Jadyn Peterson), 13:15. 3. Sioux Falls – Grace Halvorson (Chloe Harbaugh), sh, 0:33. Penalties: SF, Taylor Dawley (Tripping), 0:09.
Third Period
Scoring: 4. Brookings – Elli Hegdahl (Montana Myer), 14:55. 5. Brookings – Jadyn Peterson (Bethany Rennich), 11:46. 6. Brookings – Bethany Rennich (Jadyn Peterson, Carlie Kruse), 7:30. Penalties: SF, Taylor Dawley (Tripping), 10:46; B, (Hooking), 10:06; SF, Kaitlyn Vockler (Head Contact), 5:55; SF, Kaitlyn Vockler (Head Contact-Misconduct), 5:55; B, Bethany Rennich (Roughing), 5:55; SF, Taylor Dawling (High Sticking), 0:13; B, Savannah Barber (Roughing), 0:13.
Power Plays: B 0-2; SF 0-1. Shots on Goal: B 7-6-10 – 23; SF 8-11-5 – 24. Saves: B, Jadyn Runge 21-24; Ava Krabbenhoft 17-23.
Mike Carroll/Daily Plainsman: Janaya Kuehl (12) battles with Gabriella Schroder (17) for the puck during the Rangers’ 6-3 semifinal win over the Flyers on Saturday at the Girls’ State Varsity Hockey Tournament at Bergman Arena in Huron.
