Hill-Murray 3, Dodge Co. 1

NORTH ST. PAUL — The battle of last year’s two girls hockey state champions tipped the way of the Class 2A champ on Saturday.

Hill-Murray scored three times in the first period, and those goals held up as the defending Class 2A state champion Pioneers topped the defending Class 1A champion Dodge County Wildcats 6-1 at Polar Arena.

Willow Harens scored the Wildcats’ lone goal, late in the first period, cutting their deficit to 3-1 after one.

Hill-Murray’s Taylin Engelhardt scored in the second to make it 4-1, then the Pioneers tacked on two more in the third period.

H-M goalie Charlotte Oscarson made 28 saves in the win.

H-M, the No. 4-ranked team in the state in Class 2A, improved to 17-2-0 overall.

Dodge County, ranked No. 4 in Class 1A, is 13-4-1. Things get no easier for the Wildcats. They play at Holy Family Catholic, the No. 1-ranked team in Class 2A, at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

HILL-MURRAY 6, DODGE CO. 1

Dodge County 1-0-0 — 1

Hill-Murray 3-1-2 — 6

Dodge County: Willow Harens 1 goal. Goalies: Faith Humphrey (4:00) 0 saves-2 shots; Rylee Tiefenbach (47:00) 27 saves-31 shots.

Hill-Murray: Hannah Rychley 2 goals; Taylin Engelhardt 1 goal; Sophie Olson 1 assist; Stella Rankin 1 assist; Olivia Braunshausen 1 assist; Anna Pohl 1 goal, 1 assist; Jaycee Chatleain 1 goal; Elliana Engelhardt 1 goal, 1 assist; Ingrid Newman 1 assist.Goalie: Charlotte Oscarson 28 saves-29 shots.

Fox Cities 2, Century/JM 1

ROCHESTER — Century/John Marshall fell behind by two goals early in the second period and attempted to battle back, but couldn’t quite complete a comeback in a 2-1 loss to Fox Cities (Appleton, Wis.) at the Rochester Recreation Center.

Fox Cities scored once in the first period and again 6:45 into the second to build a 2-0 lead.

Katie Nelson scored for Century/JM 10:07 into the second, with an assist from Kenzie Harding, to cut the Panthers deficit in half.

That was all the offense the Panthers could manage, though, as Fox Cities goalie Teagan Wilkins made 28 saves.

Isabella Scranton was equally strong at the other end, making 26 saves for Century/JM.

Century/JM (7-10-2 overall) is back in action at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Red Wing, in a Big Nine Conference game.

FOX CITIES 2, CENTURY/JM 1

Fox Cities 1-1-0 — 2

Century/JM 0-1-0 — 1

Fox Cities (Wis.): Emmaree Dratch 1 goal; Hailey Fischer 1 assist; Kendall Lindemann 1 goal; Evie Mursau 1 assist. Goalie: Teagan Wilkins 28 saves-29 shots.

Century/John Marshall: Katie Nelson 1 goal; Kenzie Harding 1 assist. Goalie: Isabella Scranton 26 saves-28 shots.

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