Preparing to face a 5-on-3 penalty kill with a one-goal lead in the waning minutes of the third period against Lake Conference rival Edina on Saturday, Minnetonka goaltender Tatyana Delaittre had one thought on her mind.
"Just stop the puck and see what happens,” she said.
What happened was far from expected.
The Hornets tried pushing the puck up to the point, but it trickled out of the zone. The Skippers' Katie McMillan, who had just skated out of the penalty box, corralled the puck and hit Presley Norby with a cross-ice pass through the slot. Norby then wristed a shot opposite corner over Edina goalie Anna Goldstein.
“I saw (McMillan) pop out of the box and thought I’d join the rush with her, and she made an unbelievable pass,” Norby said in describing the shorthanded goal that helped propel the Skippers to their second consecutive league title after a 4-1 victory over the Hornets at Braemar Arena.
Norby wasn’t finished as a nearly identical play occurred less than a minute later. This time it was Kippin Keller who delivered a pass across the slot to Norby, who scored her third goal of the game.
Ranked second in the Class 2A coaches’ poll, Minnetonka (18-2-2, 6-2) took the rematch with No. 3-2A Edina (15-6-1, 3-3-1) after the teams tied 2-2 earlier this season.
Norby and Edina's Grace Bowlby and Emily Oden played with the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team in IIHF World Championship Jan. 8-15 in Canada, leaving their teams without their top skaters in the first meeting.
Norby said that Bowlby, a longtime friend and future Wisconsin teammate, talked about the rematch while helping Team USA win the gold medal in Ontario, Canada.
“We were both on the phone with our parents while the game was going on, cheering for our teams,” Norby said. “It’s fun to battle against her. She’s one of my best friends.”
Norby’s natural hat trick in the third period relieved DeLaittre, who finished the game with 30 saves as Edina outshot Minnetonka 31-23.
“She’s our rock,” Norby said. “We all play for her and stand up for her in front of the net.”
After allowing Oden to score in the first period on Saturday, Delaittre stopped 24 consecutive shots in an impressive and empowering performance.
“There were some big swings where she made a close save, and a few minutes later, we’d get goal or a good scoring chance,” Minnetonka coach Eric Johnson said. “It’s all momentum. If she keeps the puck out of our net, we keep going. If they score, it takes the wind out of our sails on the bench.”
After a scoreless second period kept the game tied 1-1, Norby asserted herself in the third - a period defined by special teams play.
Norby's first goal came on the power play and finally gave Minnetonka its first lead.
“It was definitely a game changer,” Delaittre said. “I’m happy to have Presley, Katie and the whole team behind me.”
She then tallied the two shorthanded goals to the game out of reach.
The Skippers return to Pagel Activity Center on Thursday for a matchup with against Dodge County on Senior Night, a game that’ll serve as a homecoming for the back-to-back Lake Conference champions.
“There’s kind of a weight off our shoulders, and we can now focus on getting ready for sections,” Delaittre said.
It remains to be seen if the Skippers can return to the Class 2A state tournament in their first year in the newly assembled Section 2, which includes No. 5 Eden Prairie and No. 6 Chaska/Chanhassen.
As a two-year starter, Delaittre has learned anything can happen in hockey.
“You just have to train hard and come ready to play,” she said.