Jory McWilliams ended his scoring slump in the most fitting way.

The Bloomington Kennedy forward caught a pass in the slot and fired the puck into the open net with just 1:34 remaining to play, propelling his Eagles to the Schwan Cup Open Division title with a 3-2 win over Luverne at Ridder Arena on Wednesday. 

The timely game-winning goal was his first score in more than a month, with the dry streak dating back to Nov. 29. 

“In the last few weeks, he’s had a lot of chances to score and the puck just hasn’t gone in for him,” Bloomington Kennedy coach Dave Dillon said. “We told him before the game that we’ve been happy with how he’s playing, but it’s just a matter of the bounces going his way. It was good to see him finally break out of it.”

McWilliams scored 14 goals in his sophomore season, but the junior hasn’t seen the same kind of success this year. He had just three goals in 11 games before Wednesday’s championship game. 

McWilliams claimed to have missed a number of scoring opportunities in the past month, especially in the last few days during the Schwan Cup tournament. 

“It’s been frustrating (not scoring),” McWilliams said. “But I still find ways to pass the puck to my linemates.” 

He has been a playmaker for the Eagles, despite his struggles scoring goals. He leads the team with 10 assists. It’s new role for McWilliams, who changed his offensive mentality this year. 

“I just like to stick to the fundamentals,” McWilliams said. “Now, I always look for the pass first, shot second.”

That pass-first mentality has resonated on the score sheet and in the locker room, where he’s looked at as a leader, sophomore forward Edge Choudek said.

“(McWilliams) doesn’t think of himself (that way),” said Choudek, who scored a first period goal from McWilliams’ assist. “It’s good to have him on the team as a leader.”

His leadership was in dire need as Bloomington Kennedy blew a two-goal lead in the third period. Luverne’s goals, coming 6 minutes apart, put the Eagles on their heels. 

McWilliams put to rest all the missed opportunities and waved-off goals as he streaked down center ice with less than 2 minutes to play in a tie game. When his shot hit twine seconds later, McWilliams got both a game-winning goal and redemption. 

“I got a lot of opportunities,” McWilliams said. “And I should have buried on more, but I got one in the end – which meant the most.” 

It was obvious a burden had been lifted off McWilliams’ shoulders as he exited the Bloomington Kennedy locker room after Wednesday’s game. 

The slump was finally over, and it couldn’t have come to an end at a better time. 

“That felt so good,” McWilliams said, forcing out a nervous smile. “It was relief and excitement.” 


Bloomington Kennedy's David Beacom (32) chases after the puck at Ridder Arena Wednesday. The freshman had an assist on Jory McWilliams' game-winning goal.

First Report

Jory McWilliams scored the game-winning goal, helping Bloomington Kennedy wrap up the Schwan Cup Open Division title with a 3-2 victory over Luverne at Ridder Arena on Wednesday. 

McWilliams, who also finished with two assists, notched his lone goal with just 1:34 to play in the game, propelling his Eagles (6-6-0) past the Cardinals (12-2-0). The puck found its way onto McWilliams’ stick as the forward flew down on an odd-man rush, and the junior put it away to seal the victory. 

Kennedy took control early on in the game. 

McWilliams flipped the puck at Luverne senior goalie Connor Crabtree, who gave up a juicy rebound that sophomore forward Edge Choudek finished off to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead at 10:12 mark of the first period. 

Choudek had just left the penalty box and streaked to the net, ending up in the right place at the right time to bury home the rebound.  

McWilliams picked up his second assist of the day when he found Grant Skophammer flying down the right side of center ice. The senior forward cut toward the slot and fired it through Crabtree’s five-hole, increasing the lead to 2-0 with 9 minutes to play in the second period.

Two quick goals from Luverne tied the game midway through the third period, but McWilliams broke the tie with his goal late in the period.

Bloomington Kennedy outshot Luverne 36-26, and had just one penalty, compared to Luverne’s seven. 

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