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Hill-Murray defeats White Bear Lake 4-1 for another trip to state

By Heather Rule, special to the Star Tribune, 02/17/17, 8:45PM CST

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The Pioneers, winners of the Class 2A title in 2014 and 2015, is on a six-game winning streak.


Hill-Murray players pile on top of goalie Ava Bailey as they celebrate their Class 2A Section 4 Championship over White Bear Lake Feb. 17. Photo by Korey McDermott

When top-seeded Hill-Murray took a two-goal lead on a score with 8.9 seconds left in the first period, it was an early turning point. Pioneers coach Bill Schafhauser agreed.

“It’s not that we’ve been starting bad, but we’ve had a lot of games where we’ve been 0-0 or even down a goal after the first period,” Schafhauser said after the Pioneers’ 4-1 victory over No. 3 seed White Bear Lake in the Class 2A, Section 4 championship game Friday night at Aldrich Arena. “And to be able to start strong like that in the first period really kind of helped settle everybody in.”

It was junior Morgan Helgeson who scored the breakaway goal at the end of the first for the Pioneers (23-4-1), seconds after the Bears had a couple of quality scoring chances.

Junior Abigail Boreen got one of her two assists on the goal.

“Then in the locker room we were super pumped,” Boreen said. “So I think that carried into the second period.”

Freshman Nina Steigauf scored the first goal, and Lindsey Featherstone made it 3-1 for Hill-Murray in the second about two minutes after Bears junior Claudia Verkerke scored.

The Pioneers, ranked No. 2 in 2A, have won six consecutive games, and it’s their sixth trip to the state tournament in seven years. They won back-to-back state titles in 2014 and 2015.

They are playing their best hockey at the right time, according to Schafhauser.

First report

Top-seeded Hill-Murray (23-4-1) used a couple of two-goal leads to seal a 4-1 victory over No. 3 seed White Bear Lake (17-11-0) in the Class 2A, Section 4 championship Friday night at Aldrich Arena.

Hill-Murray junior Morgan Helgeson scored with 8.9 seconds left in the first period to give her team a 2-0 lead, then Lindsey Featherstone’s goal in the second period put the Pioneers up 3-1 at the end of two.

Claudia Verkerke scored for the Bears, ranked 15th in Class 2A. Freshman Nina Steigauf scored the first goal for the Pioneers, and Abigail Boreen had an empty-netter.

The Pioneers, ranked No. 2 in Class 2A, are on a six-game winning streak, and it’s their sixth trip to the state tournament in seven years. They won back-to-back state titles in 2014 and 2015. 

Check back later for more on the game.


Hill-Murray’s Morgan Helgeson scored Hill-Murray’s second goal of the night against White Bear Lake in the Class 2A Section 4 championship game. Photo by Korey McDermott

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