Orono Spartan Kali Schmidt (12) dodges Academy of Holy Angels defense scoring one out of her 2 goals during Friday night's matchup leading to Oronos' 4-0 victory. Photo by Aiyanna Taylor, SportsEngine
In games where tension is high, and both teams are evenly matched, sometimes one player can make all the difference.
There were many good performances put on display for Orono in its 4-0 win over Holy Angels in the Class 1A, Section 5 final on Friday night, but Zoe Lopez stood out among the rest.
“When Zoe gets the puck, we on the bench all kind of calm down knowing that something (good) is going to happen,” Orono head coach Larry Olimb said of the sophomore winger.
Lopez scored her 34th goal of the season with 1:22 left in the first period to help give the Spartans a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission. She received the puck near the blue line, beat a defender, then slotted her shot into the bottom right corner of the net.
“When I saw the defense backing up and not stepping up I was willing to use her as a screen and shoot a low shot to try and put that in,” Lopez said.
Photo gallery: Orono vs. Holy Angels
The goal was an impressive showcase of her skill, but her calmness on the puck and her ability to slow down a hectic game with her team’s season on the line was what stood out.
“She’s going to make a good, smart play, and she’s so good with the puck,” Olimb said. “The way she controlled the puck when she was out on the ice even if there weren’t more goals for that line and our team, but she was creating plays all night.”
Kali Schmidt scored the first goal of the game then scored on an empty net before assisting Macy Rasmussen’s empty-net goal to round out the offense for the Spartans (20-3-4, 9-1-1).
The whole team put in a strong defensive effort to not give goaltender Celia Dahl much to do in the opening two periods. After making seven saves in the first 34 minutes, Dahl stopped all 10 shots from the Stars in the third to secure the shutout.
“Celia is just so steady back there and doesn’t panic, and our defenseman played tough,” Olimb said.
Eva Bentley also had a standout performance in net for the Stars (20-6-1, 10-1-0). The junior made 16 saves, with a few coming in one-on-one situations.
“She’s been unbelievable,” Holy Angels head coach Ryan LaMere said of Bentley. “We rotated early, went with Bentley these last couple games and she had a fantastic game again today.”
After losing to Orono in the section final last season, LaMere said he thought this year’s team was going to be able to get past this hurdle and reach state. Despite today’s loss, the Stars are only losing two seniors, and LaMere expects them to come back strong next season.
“We’ll remember this and get back to work here in the spring and summer and come back harder next year,” he said.
The Spartans are now set to head to the 1A state tournament riding a 10-game winning streak. Olimb said it took time for the Spartans to play their best as a lot of its biggest contributors are underclassmen. Now they’re firing on all cylinders, and after a third-place finish at last year’s tournament, the Spartans are looking for more this year.
“We’re ready for some revenge in the state tournament,” Lopez said.
Senior goalie Eva Bentley (34) gets down and successfully blocks a shot by Orono in the second period. Bentley blocked a total of 19 shots by the end of the game. Photo by Aiyanna Taylor, SportsEngine
First Report
Orono is headed to the Class 1A State Tournament after beating the Academy of Holy Angels 4-0 in the 1A, Section 5 final on Friday night.
The Spartans (20-3-4, 9-1-1) had control of the game early, as they put away two goals in the first period. After a puck was sent on net, Kali Schmidt was able to get to it and force it in to give the Spartans a lead about eight minutes into the action. Zoe Lopez doubled the Orono lead with 1:22 left in the period after an impressive unassisted effort was finished off with a quick wrist shot from the right wing.
The Stars (20-6-1, 10-1-0) came out with a lot of energy in the second period but couldn’t find a goal. The Spartans applied more pressure on the Stars’ net near the end of the period, but Eva Bentley made a couple big saves to keep her team in the game. Bentley finished the game with 16 saves.
The Stars were at their best in the third period, as they racked up 10 shots and their best chances of the game. That included a shot that got past Celia Dahl in net but was cleared before it crossed the goal line.
Dahl stopped all 17 shots she faced to record the shutout. Schmidt and Macy Rasmussen each added empty-net goals to secure a trip to state for the Spartans.
Orono defense Alex Paulson (15) out skates Academy of Holy Angels forward Reagan Loichle (29). Photo by Aiyanna Taylor, SportsEngine
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