Hockey Roundup: River Lakes girls break through at state

ST. PAUL — The River Lakes girls hockey team got win No. 1 at state on Thursday.

Playing in the Class A state consolation semifinals, the Stars beat Luverne 4-2 at TRIA Rink.

After getting shut out 7-0 against top-seeded Warroad in the state quarterfinals on Wednesday, the Stars got their first goal of the tournament when Abby Storms found the back of the net at 6 minutes, 17 seconds of the first period. At 15:29, Sophia Hess put River Lakes up 2-0.

The Cardinals cut the deficit to one in the second period when Kamryn Van Batavia punched in a goal at 5:11.

River Lakes’s Kianna Roeske helped her team pull away midway through the second.

Already with an assist in the first period, the senior from Paynesville and Minnesota State-Mankato recruit was awarded a penalty shot. She was able to beat Luverne goalie Cheyenne Schutz to make it a two-goal game at 8:57. Then at 11:18, she tallied another goal to make it 4-1.

Hess also finished the game with three points, getting a goal and two assists. Kaydence Roeske made 34 saves for the Stars.

River Lakes was one-and-done at the state tournament in 2021 because there was no consolation bracket after losing to Gentry Academy 4-1 in the quarterfinals.

River Lakes faces Mankato East in the consolation championship at 10 a.m. Saturday back at TRIA Rink. The Cougars lost its state quarterfinal game against Orono, 7-1. In the consolation semis, Mankato East beat Big Nine Conference rival Albert Lea 3-1.

River Lakes (16-13-0)          2     2     0 — 4
Luverne (23-4-0)                  0     1     1 — 2
FIRST PERIOD –  (1) RL: Abby Storms (Sophia Hess), 6:07 … (2) RL: Hess (Jordyn Bebus, Kianna Roeske), 15:29.
SECOND PERIOD –  (3) L: Kamryn Van Batavia (Reghan Bork, Mallory VonTersch), 5:11 … (4) RL: Ki. Roeske (unassisted), 8:57 PS … (5) RL: Ki. Roeske (Hess), 11:18.
THIRD PERIOD – (6) L: Van Batavia (Payton Behr), 5:05.
GOALIE SAVES/SHOTS – River Lakes: Kaydence Roeske 34/36 … Luverne: Cheyenne Schutz 34/38

Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato’s hope for a second straight state appearance ended in the quarterfinal round of the Section 2A tournament.

The fifth-seeded Dragons lost to fourth-seeded Providence Academy at the Plymouth Ice Center.

The Lions face top-seeded Minneapolis in the section semifinals at 5 p.m. Saturday. The Nova beat ninth-seeded Hutchinson 5-1 on Thursday.

Litchfield/D-C concludes the season with a 16-9-1 record.

Fifth-seeded Morris/Benson Area prevailed in overtime against fourth-seeded Wadena-Deer Creek in the Section 6A quarterfinals at the Wadena Hockey Arena.

The Storm avenged their regular-season loss to the Wolverines. Back on Jan. 31, Wadena-Deer Creek beat MBA 5-3.

With the victory, the Storm take on top-seeded Alexandria at 4 p.m. Saturday at the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex. The Cardinals won their opening-round game against eighth-seeded Breckenridge/Wahpeton, 19-0.