Quantcast
skip navigation

Lopez strikes again, lifts Orono over Holy Family Catholic in OT

By Heather Rule, SportsEngine, 02/03/23, 12:00AM CST

Share

Sophomore Zoe Lopez notched her second overtime game-winner this season, this time with her team-leading 27th goal that put out the Fire.

Orono goalie Celia Dahl makes a second period save. Dahl made 36 saves in a 2-1 overtime win over Holy Family on Thursday night. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

Orono goalie Celia Dahl made 36 saves in a 2-1 overtime win over Holy Family Catholic on Thursday night. Shots favored the Fire 37-22 in the contest. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

Orono has played a lot of overtime games this season. Well, six in 23 contests, which Orono coach Larry Olimb acknowledged is a lot and bizarre with the number of ties the Spartans have.

But Orono's two overtime victories this season have similarities. Both were against Class 2A opponents, and the winning goal came off the stick of sophomore Zoe Lopez within the first two minutes of the extra session.

As was the case Thursday when Lopez tallied her 27th goal of the season, this one on the power play only 1 minutes, 6 seconds into overtime. It gave Orono a 2-1 win over Holy Family Catholic at Victoria Ice Arena.

“It was a rebound off the pad,” Lopez said. “Then Allie (Pleimann) shot it. I just had to turn around and put it in.

“It was surreal. There’s nothing that beats that feeling, honestly.”

Zoe Lopez (10) finds the puck at the top of the crease and scores in overtime giving Orono, No. 5-1A, a win over Holy Family, No. 8-2A. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

The Spartans' Zoe Lopez (10) finds the puck at the top of the crease before scoring in overtime in No. 5-1A Orono's win over No. 8-2A Holy Family. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

First report

In a battle of Class 1A versus Class 2A, Orono pulled off the upset with an overtime win for a 2-1 victory over Holy Family Catholic on Thursday at Victoria Ice Arena. 

Zoe Lopez scored her team-leading 27th goal of the season on the power play a little more than one minute into the extra session. 

The game was scoreless after one period of play, then tied 1-1 through two periods. Holy Family Catholic freshman Haley Box got on the board first on a power play for her 19th goal of the season, but Orono’s Macy Rasmussen tied the game a couple of minutes later.

With the cross-class upset, the Spartans, ranked No. 5 in Class 1A in the most recent Let’s Play Hockey coaches’ poll, have won six games in a row and haven’t lost since Dec. 28. The loss snaps a three-game winning streak for the No. 8-2A Fire as it ends its regular season. 

Senior Celia Dahl stopped 36 shots for Orono (16-3-4, 8-1-1) while senior Sedona Blair made 20 saves for Holy Family Catholic (18-6-1, 6-0-0).

Holy Family's Haley Box (12) celebrates her goal in the opening minutes of the second period.  Macy Rasmussen answered two minutes later for Orono and it would take overtime to break the tie. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

Holy Family's Haley Box (12) celebrates her goal in the opening minutes of the second period. Macy Rasmussen answered two minutes later for Orono and it would take overtime to break the tie. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

The MN Girls' Hockey Hub poll is for entertainment purposes only.

Girls' Hockey Hub Headlines

  • Lakeville South shuts out Eastview

  • By Ethan Olson, SportsEngine 02/02/2023, 3:15pm CST
  • Junior Claire Bronson recorded her seventh shutout of the season while sophomore Josie Grossman tallied two assists.
  • Read More

Feed for https://www.startribune.com/sports/index.rss2