When two teams with elite goaltenders square off, offensive production can be shut down ice-cold.

Saturday afternoon at the Blake Ice Arena in Hopkins, the Bears and visiting Breck saw their offensive production fall as frigid as the zero-degree weather that waited for everyone outside the arena doors. The two goaltenders that toiled inside combined to pitch a deep-freeze shutout through three periods and beyond.

Both sides hacked away fruitlessly for a total of 56 shots and went a combined 0-for-7 on the power play before shot No. 57, a rebound buried by Mustangs junior forward Kendall Williamson 2:11 into overtime, provided game’s only goal and lifted Breck past Blake 1-0.

Senior goaltender Jenna Brenneman turned away 33 shots to earn the shutout as the Mustangs, ranked No. 2 in the Class 1A coaches’ poll, toppled the No. 1-1A Bears and avenged a 4-0 loss on Dec. 12 to their rivals.

“It’s an awesome experience,” Brenneman said afterward. “Blake is a team we know we are always going to be up for, and this win over a very good team does a lot for our team’s confidence.”

Blake, who outshot Breck 33-24 for the game, put up 15 shots in the first period and 12 in the second before the Mustangs tightened things up in the third.

Both sides were without a top player as the programs supplied pieces to the U.S. Women's Under-18 team that is competing in an international tournament in Ontario, Canada, this weekend.

Breck's leading scorer Grace Zumwinkle was absent, as was Blake defenseman Madeline Wethington. Both girls scored a goal in Friday night’s 6-0 win over the Czech Republic.

Blake freshman Olivia Bizal, who entered the contest as the state’s leading goaltender in both goals-against average (0.49) and save percentage (.973), finished with 23 saves and was flawless aside from the final scrum in front of the net that led to the game-winner.

“It was back and forth the entire game,” Breck coach Ronda Engelhardt said afterward. “I think the big thing for us is that we were committed to work hard and leave everything we had on the ice. Every player gave everything they had in them, and I think that showed in how exhausted we were. It was a good win.”

With the victory, Breck improves its record to 16-3-0 on the season and 2-1-0 in the Independent Metro Athletic Conference. Blake leads the league with a 3-1 mark and fell for just the second time this season, ending the first full week of the new year with a 16-2-2 mark.

“It’s always good to get a win under your belt because we know we will see them again,” Engelhardt said.

“In the locker room after the game, it was crazy loud, and there is a ton of energy and confidence,” Brenneman said. “We can’t wait to move on to the next game because we know we have to take it one game at a time.”

Junior forward Kendall Williamson hammered home a rebound 2:11 into overtime to score the game’s only goal and help lift Breck past host Blake 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.

Senior goaltender Jenna Brenneman turned away 33 shots to earn the shutout as the Mustangs, ranked No. 2 in the Class 1A coaches’ poll, toppled the No. 1-2A Bears on their home ice.

Blake, who outshot Breck 33-24 for the game, put up 15 shots in the first period and 12 in the second before the Mustangs tightened things up in the third.

Bears freshman Olivia Bizal, who entered the contest as the state’s leading goaltender in both goals-against average (0.49) and save percentage (.973), finished with 23 saves and was flawless aside from the final scrum in front of the net that led to the game-winner. 

With the victory, Breck improves its record to 16-3-0 on the season and 2-1-0 in the Independent Metro Athletic Conference. Blake leads the league with a 3-1 mark and falls all for just the second time this season, ending the first full week of the new year with a 16-2-2 mark.

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