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.
Presley Norby (5) scored three goals in the third period to propel the Skippers to a conference title. Photo by Cheryl Myers
First Report
Senior Presley Norby’s natural hat trick in the third period lifted Minnetonka to a 4-1 victory over Lake Conference rival Edina Saturday afternoon at Braemar Arena.
Ranked No. 2 in the Class 2A coaches’ poll, the Skippers (18-2-2, 6-2) were outshot 21-12 in the final two periods but capitalized on special teams to repeat as league champions.
The No. 3-2A Hornets (15-6-1, 3-3-1) scored the game's opening goal as junior Grace Bowlby fired a shot from the point that Emily Oden tipped in past Minnetonka goaltender Tatyana Delaittre.
The Skippers answered by scoring 10 seconds into their first power play as Norby zipped an on-ice shot into the pads of Edina goalie Anna Goldstein, creating a rebound to the right of the net that Katie McMillan fired in with four seconds remaining in the first period.
Minnetonka had two power plays in the second period, but failed to score on either as both goalies contained several scoring threats.
In the final period, Norby took over.
Her first goal came as she found the net at the top of the Skippers' power play 1 minute, 32 seconds into the period.
The Hornets called a timeout as Emma Bigham was called for tripping, putting the Skippers on a 5-on-3 penalty kill for 15 seconds.
Edina attempted a pass to the point, but the puck trickled out of the zone, where McMillan rushed out of the penalty box and hit Norby with a cross-ice pass through the slot. Norby's wrist shot went opposite corner over Goldstein.
Less than a minute later, Norby - on a give-and-go - sent a breakout pass to Kippin Keller, who dished the puck back to Norby for a shorthanded goal.
DeLaittre made 30 saves while Goldstein finished with 19.
