Grand Rapids Beats Bemidji 3 to 2 in Overtime- First Game of State Hockey Tournament 2016
Rapids dramatically dances into state semis
By Tim How, 03/04/16, 12:15AM PST
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The Timberlake Lodge Game Recap: Grand Rapids 3, Bemidji 2 F/OT
It was billed as the best state quarterfinal matchup on the 2016 slate, and boy did Grand Rapids and Bemidji live up to the hype. After playing to a 1-1 tie on November 24 in Grand Rapids, the teams skated through three periods and were tied 2-2 at the Xcel Energy Center late on Thursday night. It only took 126 seconds more to finally declare a winner.
Mitchell Mattson, who was held in check most of the night by a tight checking Lumberjack squad, showed why he is a Mr. Hockey finalist and a North Dakota commit during the extra session. After a slick full-length puck entry by the Thunderhawks, Mattson won a battle on the side wall and skated toward the net. Just before ending up behind the cage, he flung a pass to the low slot.
Alex Adams was right there to bury the puck and send Grand Rapids into the final four. The one-time shot went low to the blocker side, stunning the Bemidji fans and sending the orange crush crowd into a frenzy.
The goal brought back memories of the last overtime game for the Thunderhawks at state. Mr. Hockey finalist Patrick White brought the puck in below the goal line and sent a pass into the slot that Sam Rendle buried. That was in 2007. Nearly a decade later, Adams was playing hero for the second straight game.
Bemidji scored first in the final minute of the opening period. Alex Pollock took advantage of a turnover and came in clean on Rapids netminder Gabe Holum. Pollock made a shimmy to his backhand and slid the puck five hold to make it 1-0.
The Lumberjacks were feeling good. A goal late in a period like that certainly gives a team momentum. Maybe even more importantly, Bemidji hadn’t lost all season when scoring first. That was one of many trends or streaks that would ultimately end just before 11 p.m.
Grand Rapids got on the board early in the second period to tie the game 1-1. Drake Anderson sent a hard shot on net and a long rebound kicked out to North Dakota recruit Gavin Hain on the other side. Hain one-touched a shot into the net to extend his point streak to 14 games.
One of the prettiest goals you’ll see all weekend gave Grand Rapids their first lead about five minutes later. Micah Miller circled through neutral ice and then attacked up the right wing on the power play. He sent off a wicked wrister that clanked off the post and in to make it 2-1. It was the first power play goal of the postseason for the Thunderhawks.
Then, Miller scored one of the greatest goals of all-time that didn’t count. He caused a turnover in the defensive zone while shorthanded and bolted up the left wing. After beating the defensemen, he cut hard to the right and whipped the puck into the net while in a Superman dive. Replay indicated the puck crossed the line two-tenths of a second after the buzzer. No goal.
The goal that wasn’t set off one of the biggest momentum swings of the season. Bemidji came out in the third period and capitalized on a failed clearing attempt. It was again Pollack who beat Holum to make it 2-2.
Holum and Bemidji goalie Matt Fitzgerald went save for save throughout the third period and into overtime.
Finally, Alex Adams sent the Thunderhawks’ fans home happy with his second memorable goal in as many games. He also scored the game winner in the section final against Duluth East with just six seconds remaining.
Adams has 22 points in his last nine games and 45 points on the season.
Grand Rapids improves to 22-6-1 overall on the season, but just 2-6-1 when scoring fewer than four goals. The other win was a 3-0 shutout of then-undefeated Hibbing-Chisholm.
No. 2 Stillwater takes on No. 3 Wayzata in the first semi-final Friday night at 6 p.m. inside Xcel Energy Center. No. 4 Grand Rapids takes on No. 1 Eden Prairie 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. The Eagles beat the Thunderhawks 6-3 in the Edina Classic in mid-December.By Tim How GRHS Hockey
