SIOUX FALLS – The Rangers finished a stellar season on a high note.
Brookings bounced back from a 5-3 upset semifinal defeat to Sioux Falls to demolish Oahe, 11-2, in Sunday’s third-place game of the South Dakota Amateur Hockey Association Girls’ State Tournament at the Scheels IcePlex.
“We came off a tough loss with Sioux Falls – we had lots of opportunities and didn’t put the puck in the net – our normal scorers just couldn’t do anything with it,” said Ranger head coach Donovan Peterson after Sunday’s win. “We had lots of quality chances; their goalie just played well and nothing went in.
“The girls came back – skated and worked hard – they know that’s what they had to do, but really, they didn’t do anything different than what they were doing (Saturday). They were moving the puck well and getting good, quality chances, it was just (Sunday) they were going in and hitting the corners instead of hitting the goalie in the chest.”
The Rangers were awarded the Lori Simpson Sportmanship Award as a team while Klara Beinhorn collected the Hobie Baker Award and the Toshhiba All-American award, in addition to being named to the All-State team as a forward along with Jordyn Peterson as a defenseman.
Carlie Kruse earned All-State second team honors as Peterson was named as the Coach of the Year for 2017.
The third-place win gave the Rangers a 19-5 season mark against league teams.
THIRD-PLACE GAME
• Rangers 11, Oahe 2
The first period was a scoring frenzy as Brookings scored twice in a 4 1/2-minute span before the teams traded a pair of goals as the Rangers led 4-2 heading into the intermission.
Jordyn Peterson opened the scoring with a power-play goal off a feed from Brooke Piearson, and then, Brooklyn Roberts found the back of the net as Montana Myer earned the assist.
Amy Gilkerson’s goal cut Brookings’ lead in half, but less than a minute later, Myer made it 3-1 off a Peterson helper.
Grace Nedved converted a power-play chance to pull the Capitals within 3-2, but Myer notched her second goal of the period – this time on a power play – with less than a minute to play off assists from Piearson and Peterson for the two-goal advantage.
The second 17 was all Rangers as they outshot Oahe, 18-1, and tacked on five goals to send the game into run time with 9:04 left in the period.
Myer collected a hat trick with an unassisted tally; Bethany Rennich lit the lamp off a setup from Klara Beinhorn; and then Peterson netted the puck with another unassisted goal to make it 7-2.
Brookings converted two power-play opportunities for a 9-2 lead through two as Jadyn Peterson scored off a Beinhorn assist and the Beinhorn found the back of the net with Jordyn Peterson credited with the helper.
The Petersons tacked on two late goals in the third for the final margin as Beinhorn set up both as Jordyn scored with 6:16 left and Jadyn scored with 5:17 to play.
Brookings held a 41-6 advantage in shots as the defense limited the Caps to single shots in both of the final two periods and Jadyn Runge finished with four saves for the win in net.
The Rangers converted on all four power-play chances while Oahe went 1-of-4.
BROOKINGS 11, OAHE 2
Oahe 2 0 0 – 2
Brookings 4 5 2 – 11
First Period
Scoring: 1. Brookings – Jordyn Peterson (Brooke Piearson), pp, 14:42. 2. Brookings – Brooklyn Roberts (Montany Myer), 12:26. 1. Oahe – Amy Gilkerson (Grace Nedved), 11:43. 3. Brookings – Montana Myer (Jordyn Peterson), 10:53. 2. Oahe – Grace Nedved (Caryn Brakke), pp, 5:16. 4. Brookings – Montana Myer (Brooke Piearson, Jordyn Peterson), pp, 1:28. Penalties: O, Jessa McTighe (Hooking), 14:58; B, Klara Beinhorn (Interference), 6:15; O, Jessa McTighe (Hooking), 3:18.
Second Period
Scoring: 5. Brookings – Montana Myer (unassisted), 13:11. 6. Brookings – Bethany Rennich (Klara Beinhorn), 11:08. 7. Brookings – Jordyn Peterson (unassisted), 10:11. 8. Brookings – Jadyn Peterson (Klara Beinhorn), pp, 7:56. 9. Brookings – Klara Beinhorn (Jordyn Peterson), pp, 1:05. Penalties: O, Caryn Brakke (Hooking), 8:58; O, Kaitlyn Swenson (Body Checking), 2:10.
Third Period
Scoring: Brookings – 10. Jordyn Peterson (Klara Beinhorn), 6:16. Brookings – 11. Jadyn Peterson (Klara Beinhorn), 5:17. Penalties: None.
Shots on Goal: O 4 1 1 – 6; B 11 18 12 – 41. Power Plays: O 1-1; B 4-4. Saves: O, Mariah Nelson 30; B, Jadyn Runge 4.
SEMIFINAL
• Sioux Falls 5, Rangers 3
Brookings, seeded second, drew first blood against the third-seeded Flyers but Sioux Falls responded with a pair of goals to take a 2-1 lead, and then, tacked on three more in the third to advance to the final, where they lost 4-1 to Aberdeen.
Carlie Kruse converted a power-play opportunity midway through the first to give the Rangers the early advantage as Jordyn and Jadyn Peterson picked up the assists.
Robin Hatcher’s goal with 1:32 left sent the game into the first intermission tied at 1-1.
The Flyers grabbed the lead on Cassidy Moon’s goal, but Jordyn Peterson lit the lamp off a Beinhorn helper with 4:01 remaining in the second to make it 2-2 through two.
In the third period, Sioux Falls scored twice inside –Ashley Anderson and Kaitlyn Vocker – less than six minutes in to go up 4-2, and the Rangers could only answer once.
Beinhorn netted the puck off a Jadyn Peterson assist with 2:51 remaining to get Brookings back within a goal, but the Taylor Dawley scored on an empty net with 26 seconds left for the final margin.
The Flyers had 31 shots to Brookings’ 29 as Runge notched 26 saves in the loss.
SIOUX FALLS 5, BROOKINGS 3
Sioux Falls 1 1 3 – 5
Brookings 1 1 1 – 3
First Period
Scoring: 1. Brookings – Carlie Kruse (Jordyn Peterson, Jadyn Peterson), pp, 8:09. 1. Sioux Falls – Robin Hatcher (Kaitlyn Vockler), 1:32. Penalties: SF, Jaden Flanagan (Hooking), 8:52.
Second Period
Scoring: 2. Sioux Falls – Cassidy Moon (Jaden Flanagan), 7:09. 2. Brookings – Jordyn Peterson (Klara Beinhorn), 4:01. Penalties: SF, Jaden Flanagan (Hooking), 4:01; B, Beinhorn, (Minor), 0:39.
Third Period
Scoring: 3. Sioux Falls – Ashley Anderson (Robin Hatcher), 13:42. 4. Sioux Falls – Kaitlyn Vockler (Taylor Dawley), 11:12. 3. Brookings – Klara Beinhorn (Jadyn Peterson), 2:51. 5. Sioux Falls – Taylor Dawley (Robin Hatcher, Cassidy Moon), empty net, 0:26. Penalties: None.
Shots on Goal: SF 8 9 14 – 31, B 11 8 10 – 29. Power Plays: SF 0-1; B 1-2. Saves: SF, Ava Krabbenhoft 26; B, Jadyn Runge 26.
