![Orono High School forward Landon Wittenberg (13) celebrated with his teammates after scoring in the third period. ] ANTHONY SOUFFLE � anthony.souffle@startribune.com Alexandria Area High School played Orono High School in an MSHSL Class 1A boys hockey championship game Saturday, March 10, 2018 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/A6OQMX3DM7POS4XIQTR6UJMAA4.jpg?&w=1080)
Orono's Landon Wittenberg leads the season highlight reel with his game-winning goal. But his many victories at the faceoff dot also meant a great deal to his team's success.
Wittenberg, a third-line center, went 11-1 on the draw against Alexandria, helping ignite the Spartans after a sluggish first period starting plays.
"He told me about halfway through the second period, 'I got this figured out,' " Orono coach Will Scholz said.
Wittenberg wasn't boasting. He studies his craft, and results follow.
"Yeah, I said on the bench, 'I'm not losing any more draws,' " Wittenberg said. "I kind of watch what a guy does once and once he beats me with that, usually he doesn't beat me with it again because I'm going to take that away. I just strive to always win those little puck battles."
Alexandria's rock in goal
A bad bounce made a big difference in Orono's 2-1 championship game victory. But Alexandria goaltender Jackson Boline was a difference-maker throughout the tournament.
He blanked Thief River Falls in the quarterfinals. Hermantown outshot the Cardinals 34-23 in the semifinals but beat Moline just once. And he kept his team in a position to win even as Orono outshot the Cardinals 27-16.
"That way he played was the reason we were in that game," teammate Jack Westlund said. "And he had nothing to be ashamed of. He played unbelievable all year, especially in the playoffs. Without him we wouldn't have been in this game tonight."
