MANKATO — Nine penalties and a slow start wasn’t enough to deter Mankato East girls hockey.
The Cougars rebounded from a 1-0 deficit to down Hutchinson 5-1 at All Seasons Arena Saturday night to advance to the finals of the Section 2A Tournament.
Hutchinson came out smoking, challenging the Cougars for all the loose pucks and putting pressure on goalie Ilamay Draheim. The Tigers took the early lead with a goal by Jayla Maurer four minutes into the game.
“I was glad to see us keep our composure after falling behind like that,” East coach Amber Prange said. “We just had to stay calm and out and try to win every shift like we always do.”
The rest of the period was all East except for a Hutchinson power-play midway through the frame. East tied it up at 6:01 with a goal by Alexis Erickson from the left circle.
Less than two minutes later, Cougars’ defender Jillian Borgmeier found the upper right corner with a shot from the left circle for a 2-1 lead. East closed out the first-period scoring with a goal off a scrum in front of the net by Ella Fugazzi at 15:42. Fugazzi’s goal was the 100th of her career.
The junior Borgmeier went to state with East as an eighth-grader but was sidelined the last two seasons after tearing the ACL in her right knee two consecutive seasons in soccer.
“‘It feels great to be back playing again,” ’Borgmeier said. “I’m just so much happier when I’m playing hockey.”
Borgmeier doesn’t score a lot of goals for East but she’s not afraid to use her offensive skills when the situation calls for it.
“”I’ll step up and take the puck if that’s what the flow of the game dictates,” she said.
As for playing soccer again next fall, Borgmeier said that won’t be happening. “I’m focusing only on hockey from now on.”
East continued to dictate the tempo in the second. The only goal of the period was scored by Brielle Newton on a short-handed breakaway at the 5:14 mark.
It was more the same in the third, although some late penalties hindered the Cougars attack. East’s Grace Campbell scored the lone goal of the frame, popping in another short-hander off a pass below the left circle from Ava Tibodeau.
“I like that so many different players got involved in the scoring,” Prange said. “And our penalty kill did a good job when it had to.”
East outshot the visitors 35-15.
The win puts East (23-2-1) into the Section 2A finals against local rival Minnesota River. The two teams played earlier this season and skated to a tie.
“If we just go out and play our game we should be fine,” Prange said. “Minnesota River is a good team so we’ll have to play well in all facets of the game.”
The Section 2A final is slated for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Don Roberts Arena at Gustavus Adolphus College.