Breck's Jack O'Connor (17) sends a pass toward teammate Thomas Lindstrom during the Mustangs' 6-1 victory over Marshall in the Class 1A quarterfinals. Photos by Tim Kolehmainen.
The post-game press conference moods after Breck’s 6-1 quarterfinal victory over Marshall Wednesday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul didn’t match the result.
Breck, seeded second in Class 1A and making its fifth consecutive state tournament appearance, expressed disappointment. Marshall, making its state tournament debut, couldn’t stop smiling about its admirable effort in the loss.
Breck coach Les Larson wanted more from his team and senior forward Thomas Lindstrom agreed the Mustangs could have done more.
“Maybe we were caught off guard a little,” Lindstrom said. “We didn’t execute the way we wanted to. I’m happy with the win … but I’m a little disappointed.”
The disappointment stemmed from what Breck classified as a mediocre second period after jumping to a 3-0 lead in the first period on goals by David Husband, Lindstrom, and Michael Orke.
Marshall kicked off the second period with a goal by Jeremiah Barker, his first career goal and Marshall’s first-ever in a state tournament. It provided extra excitement among the Marshall players and for the next 14 minutes they skated evenly with Breck, which also scored once in the period.
The experience made the Tigers’ trip from southwestern Minnesota worth it.
“We just lost, but I don’t even care. It’s just fun to be here,” goaltender Mason Campion said. “I think we did better than expected. I don’t think they expected us to come out here and play that close for that long.”
JASON GONZALEZ, Star Tribune
Breck's Michael Orke (42) rips a backhand past Mason Campion of Marshall for a 3-0 Mustangs' lead.
1. Chase Ellingson, Breck
The Mustangs’ future looks just fine, judging by the play of the sprite-sized freshman. The 5-foot-nothing forward scored a goal in his debut on the big stage. The speed burner kept his feet moving at an eye-blurring rate as he continuously buzzed the Tigers’ net.
2. David Husband, Breck
Here’s another peek into a promising few years for the Mustangs. Just a sophomore, Husband scored a goal, notched an assist and, like Ellingson, was a menace in the Marshall end.
3. Jeremiah Barker, Marshall
A junior whose complete season statistics package entering the tournament amounted to six penalty minutes, Barker picked an opportune time to score the first goal of his varsity career. Barker’s deflection in the second period gave the Tigers a huge boost, and they closed out the period going toe-to-toe with the Mustangs.
-- Loren Nelson, MN Hockey Hub
Staff Member | Pick |
---|---|
Loren Nelson | Breck |
Tim Kolehmainen | Breck |
Zack Friedli | Breck |
Jake Lunemann | Breck |
Kristi Bostrom | Breck |
John Kelsey | Breck |
Ben Bakker | Breck |
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