Blue boys third in Duluth

• B1 Bantam third in Duluth

The Bantam B1-Blue hockey team took third place in the Head of the Lakes Hockey Classic in Duluth on Friday, Dec. 18. Team members are: front left, Connor Kwiatkowski, Jake Germann, Geno DeMike, Blake Sowle, Nick Leach, Jacob Miller, Evan Roepke, Jacob Behnken, Jake Nickoloff, Joey Schutz, Mark Dahl, Connor “Killer” Newkirk, Nick Redmon, Mike Hamilton, Ryan Tuohy, Steven Fronek, coaches Aaron Etshokin, Aaron Johnsen, Tom Maki, Curt Southward, manager Jay Behnken. Submitted Photo.

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The Woodbury Bantam B1-Blue hockey team traveled to Duluth for the Head of the Lakes Hockey Classic on Friday, Dec. 18 and brought home third-place laurels two days later.

In their first game of the tournament on Friday, the 12th-ranked Woodbury boys would face off against No. 9 Eden Prairie.

After jumping off to a 3 – 0 lead on goals by Geno DeMike, Mike Hamilton and Evan Roepke, Blue claimed its first victory of the tournament with a final 3-1 win as goaltender Connor Kwiatkowski made 24 saves.

Getting to sleep in a little bit the next morning before an 11:30 a.m. start, Woodbury faced a familiar District 8 foe in 13th-ranked Eagan Green.

Jumping off to a quick 2-0 lead on goals by Roepke and Nick Leach, it looked like Blue would have the game under control until Eagan scored a couple of unanswered goals to knot the game at 2-all.

In the second period, Woodbury’s third goal third was popped in by defenseman Joey Schutz, but Eagan answered to tie the score and took a 4-3 lead in the third.

However, Woodbury would again tie the score (4-4) on a goal by DeMike to force the game into overtime, which Blue won in the third extra session as Jake Nickoloff converted a centering pass from Hamilton for the golden goal.

After heading off to get a late lunch, Woodbury faced No. 2-ranked Osseo/Maple Grove.

It was a battle of goaltenders with Woodbury’s Nick Maki having an outstanding performance making 24 saves, but losing 1-0 as the Crimson were just one score better.

Blue enjoyed an evening out with their heads held high before returning to tourney play on Sunday for a third-place game against another District 8 rival, Lakeville South.

Woodbury had little trouble with the Cougars, as goals from Jacob Miller, DeMike, Leach, Nickoloff, Schutz and two from Roepke, helped Blue cruise to a 6-0 victory with netminders Kwiat-kowski and Maki splitting time in the net to share the shutout.

Tags: sports, woodbury, bantam, b1, duluth, hockey