Two youth hockey teams are resting after a marathon series of overtimes lasted three days.
The girls’ 12-and-under teams for the Cottage Grove Wolfpack and St. Paul Saints began playing Monday, but paused when the game was tied 1-1 after six rounds of overtime. The Wolfpack scored in a shootout Wednesday, beating the Saints 2-1 after 12 rounds of overtime.
Although both teams’ coaching staffs grew up playing and watching hockey, few have seen games last as long as this one, which amassed 12 periods of hockey.
“You don’t plan for this scenario,” said Brian Deering, head coach for the Cottage Grove 12U B1 team. “It was stressful. The kids were tired. ... I participated as a youth player in some overtimes, but certainly nothing to this extent — nothing where it drags into multiple days.”
The teams began play in South St. Paul’s Doug Woog Arena at around 7:30 p.m. Monday night, but paused the game at 10:35 p.m.
Saints’ assistant coach John Weiberg said the players were “pretty spent” that night, leaning against the arena’s boards for support. The longest hockey game in Weiberg’s memory stretched across five overtime periods in 1996 when Apple Valley High School beat Duluth East.
The Wolfpack and Saints resumed play Tuesday night, but suspended the game again when the score remained tied after four more rounds of overtime.
Officials adjusted the rules of the game Wednesday to ensure there would be a winner, leading to another two rounds of overtime. The Wolfpack’s Ashlyn Anderson sealed the game with a shootout goal after the 12th overtime session that advanced the team to the next round of the District 8 playoffs.
