Red Knights Lose to Minnetonka, Fall One Step Short Of State

The girls hockey team saw its season come to an end one game short of the state tournament, as the second-seeded Red Knights were shutout, 4-0, by No. 1 seed Minnetonka in the Section 6AA championship game on Friday night at the Parade Ice Garden in Minneapolis.

"We played great in the first period, but just didn't get that goal we needed," BSM head coach Dave Herbst said. "(And) we did not have a good second period."

Benilde-St. Margaret's out-shot the Skippers 28-26 in the game, and had more scoring chances in both the first and third periods, but a short and disastrous stretch early in the second period allowed Minnetonka two goals and all-but decided the evening's victor.

The Skippers took the lead at 2:44 of the middle frame, then suddenly doubled the edge to 2-0 with another strike at 3:58 before Herbst halted the contest with a quick timeout.

"We just had to grab our composure," he said. "Those two goals really took the wind out of our sails, but I reminded the girls that we weren't out of it."

However, the die had been cast and Minnetonka added two more scores — one late in the second period, another early in the third — in cruising to the victory and the 6AA championship.

"I do wish the game could have been a little closer," Herbst said. "But Minnetonka is a great team."

Red Knights goaltender Tiana Press made 22 saves on the night as her counterpart, Julie Friend, stopped every shot BSM mustered.

Benilde-St. Margaret's did not make it easy on Friend to earn the clean sheet, firing 15 of its 28 total shots on the netminder in the third period.

"Our kids worked hard and fought hard right until the end," Herbst said.

Despite their efforts, the Red Knights could not tally a goal, much less a win, and the 2010-11 campaign came to an end with one final sound of the horn that set off a jubilant celebration on one end of the ice — and a wave of sadness and disappointment on the other.

"There were not a lot of tears though," Herbst said.

Indeed, freshman forward Brittany Wheeler held the sectional runner-up plaque up high in the middle of a team huddle, a scene not usually reserved for those that just lost a championship game.

While the Red Knights were a very young team this season, the loss did mean the end of the road for two key players — Press and defender Jordyn Burns, both of whom graduate this spring.

"We had two great seniors and really, what can you say about those two?" Herbst said. "They're both tremendous players and will be missed."

Yet, with nine freshman on this year's 23-3-1 team, BSM fans can anticipate a solid nucleus returning for the next several years to come. This fact was not lost on the coach.

"How can I complain? It's been a great year, and next year we'll return bigger, stronger and faster," Herbst said. "We'll learn from this."