Proctor/Hermantown wins 1A girls' hockey quarterfinal in overtime

February 21, 2019 at 5:57AM
The puck shot by Proctor/Hermantown' Kaitlyn Fawcett sailed past Rochester Lourdes defender Paige McPeak and over goaltender Corrin Hanson for the game winning goal in overtime. ] JEFF WHEELER • jeff.wheeler@startribune.com Proctor/Hermantown defeated Rochester Lourdes 3-2 in overtime in a quarterfinal game of the Girls' State Hockey Tournament Wednesday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
A puck shot by Proctor/Hermantown’s Kaitlyn Fawcett sailed past Rochester Lourdes goalie Corrin Hanson in overtime. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Rising from a sophomore unable to secure a varsity spot to a senior captain taught Proctor/Hermantown forward Kaitlyn Fawcett about resiliency.

She showed some by scoring the deciding goal in a 3-2 overtime victory against Rochester Lourdes.

Fawcett's goal sends her Mirage to Friday's semifinals to face No. 1-seeded and undefeated Warroad.

No. 4 seed Proctor/Hermantown (19-7-3) went ahead 1-0 on a first-period goal from sophomore forward Aurora Opsahl.

Less than two minutes into the second period, Rochester Lourdes senior forward Clara Billings tied the score 1-1 on her 34th goal of the season.

The key player on the ice through two periods for No. 5 seed Lourdes (15-11-1) was junior goaltender Corrin Hanson. She negated the Mirage's 25-14 shot advantage by stopping all but one.

But in the third period, Proctor/Hermantown broke through for a second goal as junior forward Sydney Skorich corralled a turnover in the Lourdes zone and went to the net for her 13th goal of the season.

Trailing by a goal, Rochester Lourdes enjoyed a late 6-on-4 advantage with 1:32 to play after a Mirage penalty and pulling its goalie.

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The move paid off as sophomore defender Maggie Hanzel sent a shot past Gray with 42.9 seconds left in regulation. Only 1:36 into the extra period, Fawcett scored.

"It's senior year and we wanted to stay at the X," Fawcett said, meaning the Xcel Energy Center, site of Friday's semifinals.

David La Vaque

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