Eau Claire North's Keilor Eggen drops the hammer on Falls' Mitch LaVelle. Photo by Andi Stempniak, Eau Claire Leader-Telegram
At the last minute last night, the Commissioner changed venues, surmising that a more evenly matched contest between 5 and 4 seeds would prove more compelling than 1 and 8 seeds. Boy, was he right. While Eau Claire Memorial crushed Marshfield, 11-0, this reporter witnessed a night to remember, savoring every second of Chippewa Falls' 3-2 double overtime victory over the never-say-die Huskies of Eau Claire North.
Now I admit that I'd sooner listen to a Dave Matthews CD than root for a team wearing powder blue jerseys, but let me tell you, folks, by the time the last anguished cry of exhaustion drifted from the Huskies' dressing room like smoke from an overheated John Deere, I was thumbing through the Yellow Pages searching for a tattoo parlor willing to ink a powder blue ECN into my magnificently sculpted backside.
But first, let's talk about the jerseys. This could be the Miller High Life talking, but the ECN color scheme is growing on me, Mr. Moe.
Jobson has a point about CF ripping off the Habs, but it's still a nice clean design. I'm going with Chippewa Falls on this one.
Jobson has a point about CF ripping off the Habs, but it's still a nice clean design. I'm going with Chippewa Falls on this one.
The Chippewa Falls rink is as far from Sparta's barn as Heidi Montag's breasts are from mine. Properly lighted, clean, and well-maintained. Maybe too well-maintained. A lot of strict rules here, including no standing in the aisles or behind the nets. These regulations were strictly enforced by an eager team of rink personnel who kept eyeing me like the interloper I was. But, as in Sparta, there was a great turnout, especially by the home fans, which is a nice change of pace from the apathy I've witnessed at Madison-area prep events.The fans were not disappointed. It was a hard-fought, back and forth contest. In one spectacular shift, I saw Eau Claire North's Keilor Eggen knock down four guys (including one of his own teammates) with only two checks. (He also inexplicably fired a wrist show at his own goalie late in the game that brought an audible gasp from the North faithful.) It was a pretty rugged afffair between two teams who did not seem too fond of each other. In this clip, watch Chippewa Falls' Jesse LaForest (18) hook/spear a Huskie, then teammate Mitch LaVelle (18) offer his ECN guest a heaping helping of plexiglass sandwich. Oof!
But the real story took place between the pipes. At some point in the first period I noticed that ECN's goaltender Sam Nelson was tiny; his head barely cleared the crossbar of the net behind him. The program lists him as 5'2" and 110 pounds! I've eaten burritos bigger than this kid! But let me tell you, folks, Nelson played like a giant. By the third period, the faster, more talented Cardinals really dialed up the pressure, peppering Nelson with shots, at least three of which caromed off his facemask as he single-handedly kept the Huskies in the game.
I'll admit at this point I was rooting for Sam and the underdogs, my brackets be damned, but as the game went into a first overtime, and then a second, it was clear how this game was going to end. Despite the frantically blocked slapshots and a beautiful break-up of a 2-on-1 by ECN's Scott Roscoe, it was clear that the Huskies were exhausted. It was only a matter of time before Chi-Hi, who outshot the Huskies 38-15, sealed the deal, which they did barely a minute into the second overtime. The overtime winner by Jake Bruhn wasn't pretty (they seldom are in overtime) but it was enough to send Chippewa Falls onto the next round, and Eau Claire North into the agony of defeat.
But the real story took place between the pipes. At some point in the first period I noticed that ECN's goaltender Sam Nelson was tiny; his head barely cleared the crossbar of the net behind him. The program lists him as 5'2" and 110 pounds! I've eaten burritos bigger than this kid! But let me tell you, folks, Nelson played like a giant. By the third period, the faster, more talented Cardinals really dialed up the pressure, peppering Nelson with shots, at least three of which caromed off his facemask as he single-handedly kept the Huskies in the game.
I'll admit at this point I was rooting for Sam and the underdogs, my brackets be damned, but as the game went into a first overtime, and then a second, it was clear how this game was going to end. Despite the frantically blocked slapshots and a beautiful break-up of a 2-on-1 by ECN's Scott Roscoe, it was clear that the Huskies were exhausted. It was only a matter of time before Chi-Hi, who outshot the Huskies 38-15, sealed the deal, which they did barely a minute into the second overtime. The overtime winner by Jake Bruhn wasn't pretty (they seldom are in overtime) but it was enough to send Chippewa Falls onto the next round, and Eau Claire North into the agony of defeat.
What a night. What an effort by both teams. What a sport.
3 comments:
in the crowd shot, that guy in the camo hat and jacket looks like he's pondering how best to hurt you in the darkened parking lot
Powder Blue just doesn't work in hockey. Need a more pastoral game, like baseball. That or go to school in Chapel Hill.
Powder blue does work in hockey, in fact any color works in hockey because the Ice is white and white goes with anything. Also the red helmets go perfectly with the blue and the design of the jersey.
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