Hill-Murray’s Lindsey Featherstone was ready to be the hero in the Class 2A, Section 4 championship game.
Late in the game and with the score tie, Featherstone saw teammate Abigail Boreen had the puck in the corner, so the forward headed toward the net with the intent to receive a pass.
“I just called for it and wanted it,” Featherstone said.
Boreen heard Featherstone and send the puck to the Pioneers sophomore, who scored the game-winning goal with only 56 seconds left in the third period as top-seeded Hill-Murray defeated second-seeded Cretin-Derham Hall 3-1 at the St. Croix Rec Center on Friday.
“I think I even jumped after she scored that one,” Pioneers coach Bill Schafhauser said. “And I don’t jump well anymore.”
Laura Anderson added an empty-net goal with 5 seconds to play to finish off the victory that sends the Pioneers to their third consecutive state tournament.
The game started slow with neither team scoring through two periods, but Hill-Murray stormed out of the gates in the third. Jess Bonfe scored 13 seconds into the final period to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead.
Paige Voight pulled the Raiders into a 1-1 tie with a goal 7 minutes later, a deflating blow to the Hill-Murray bench.
Bolstered by her team’s goal, Cretin-Derham Hall goalie Emma May stood strong and kept the Hill-Murray from running away with the section crown. The senior, who is a Gopher commit, made 13 saves in the third period and finished with 33 for the game.
“She was tough,” Featherstone said. “We kept talking about getting pucks to the net, she will give up rebounds and that’s what we did.”
Featherstone’s goal followed the plan perfectly. She failed to fire her first shot with much power and the puck bounced off the net. Featherstone did not make the same mistake on her second attempt as she tracked down her own rebound and scored, sending the Pioneers’ bench into an uproar.
“I think I just swung at the first shot,” Featherstone said. “I didn’t even know if I got a piece of it, but I whacked at it again until it went in.
“This one might be my biggest I have ever scored,” she added. “To send your team to state is pretty amazing.”
Schafhauser described the game-winning play as “crazy.”
“It was just really exciting, and to close a game out like that was pretty special,” he said.
Schafhauser is in his eighth season as the Pioneers’ head coach and has guided his team to six section finals. Friday’s win propels Hill-Murray to its fourth state tournament appearance, including last year when the Pioneers took home the Class 2A title.
Schafhauser said getting to the state tournament can be more difficult than winning a title.
“Look at a game like tonight, the atmosphere, packed house, it was incredible,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of close ones in this game, and a lot of times there is more pressure in this one than it is when you get to state.
“I have found that we have been really relaxed when we get there and I think a lot of it has to do with how these games have played out, so I know the girls will be ready to go,” he added.
