In what could be considered the biggest upset in Tier III Junior Hockey this 2012-2013 season, the Dells Ducks have swept the Rochester Ice Hawks out of the MNJHL playoffs.
No one would have believed the Ducks could win two games in a row by scores of 7 to 5 and then 10 to 6. The Ice Hawks have been loaded with offensive fire power all season, adding more pieces as the year went on. Amassing 338 goals, which lead the next closest team in the league by 55 goals, the Ice Hawks were expected to win.
The Ducks, a team that battled through injuries and league adversity all season were clearly determined to show that they were built to win in the playoffs. Today they did just that.
The Ducks will now face the Twin City Northern Lights for the MNJHL Minnesota Division Championship starting next weekend. The Lights took the regular season series 5 games to 1, but the Ice Hawks had also swept the Ducks regular season series. Its a new season, and the next series sets up to be a great one.
1st Period — Scoring: Ducks – Harris Goal (Stima, Bower) 1:15; Ducks – Porter Goal (Zima, Harris) 8:22; RIHwks – Rust Goal (Baccari) 8:28; Ducks – Harris Goal (PP) (Albergo, Johnson) 13:35; RIHwks – Zarzycki Goal (Baccari, Nolan) 14:20; Ducks – Stima Goal (Hefner, Harding) 17:19. Penalties: Haygood, RIHwks (Tripping, Minor, 2 min) 10:36; Hawes, RIHwks (High-Sticking, Minor, 2 min) 12:26; Hefner, Ducks (High-Sticking, Minor, 2 min) 17:30; Becker, Ducks (Cross-Checking, Minor, 2 min) 19:31. Goalie Changes: None.
2nd Period — Scoring: RIHwks – Day Goal (PP) (Rust, Kallio) 6:40; RIHwks – Morgan Goal (Sabo, Habighorst) 12:48; Ducks – Stima Goal (PP) (Jacobson, Albergo) 13:15; Ducks – Harding Goal (Hefner) 15:45; RIHwks – Zarzycki Goal (PP) (Sabo, Habighorst) 18:56. Penalties: Zima, Ducks (High-Sticking, Double Minor, 4 min) 1:05; Gorino, RIHwks (Cross-Checking, Minor, 2 min) 2:19; Neitenbach, Ducks (Checking from Behind, Minor, 2 min) 3:37; Rust, RIHwks (Boarding, Minor, 2 min) 4:13; Cross, Ducks (Tripping, Minor, 2 min) 5:41; Hefner, Ducks (Hooking, Minor, 2 min) 6:17; Habighorst, RIHwks (Tripping, Minor, 2 min) 7:04; Hefner, Ducks (Hooking, Minor, 2 min) 12:48; Habighorst, RIHwks (Goaltender Interference, Minor, 2 min) 13:00; Morgan, RIHwks (Interference, Minor, 2 min) 16:54; Stima, Ducks (Tripping, Minor, 2 min) 17:15; Albergo, Ducks (Hooking, Minor, 2 min) 17:20; Cross, Ducks (Hooking, Minor, 2 min) 19:10. Goalie Changes: None.
3rd Period — Scoring: Ducks – Johnson Goal (PP) (Stima, Albergo) 3:50; Ducks – Neitenbach Goal (Stima, Albergo) 8:34; Ducks – Stima Goal (EN) 17:06; RIHwks – Hawes Goal (PP) (Habighorst) 17:21; Ducks – Harris Goal (EN) (Albergo) 19:00. Penalties: Morgan, RIHwks (Delay of Game, Minor, 2 min) 2:22; Albergo, Ducks (Delay of Game, Minor, 2 min) 2:22. Goalie Changes: None.
