TRIA and REMAX Advance
Edina, MN - The Celly League playoffs were originally going to feature a one game final with the first and second place team facing off for the Celly Cup. The leadership team of The Celly League had a change of heart and decided that all five teams had a reason to believe they could be the league champions and a five-team playoff was formatted.
Fourth and fifth seeded REMAX Advantage Plus and Tradition played in the 4-5 seed game with the winner advancing to the semi-finals against top seeded Ace Hardware. No. 2 Lake Cowgirl and No. 3 TRIA played in the first semi-final round game of the tournament with the winner advancing to the championship game on Thursday and the loser to face the loser of the 4-5 game in a consolation matchup later in the week.
TRIA 4 - Lake Cowgirl 0
There is always something special when it comes to the playoffs. Every shift matters, there was not a lot of ice available and when there was a defender's stick closed on the opposing player snuffing out potential scoring chances.
The opening game of the 2024 Celly League saw scoring chances, big saves, ear piercing posts, and even some incredible individual moves. Hailey Hanson (MSU) made 17 saves and Kaitlin Groess (BSU) stopped 13 of 13 TRIA shots to post the shutout for TRIA.
In the first half, Grace Zahn (Dartmouth) made a magical save when she was caught in the middle of the crease and had no choice but to fall to her left and throw her glove on the ice. Her timing was perfect and she robbed Audrey Garton (MSU) of what looked like a sure goal midway through the first half.
Petyon Hemp (Minnesota) had a couple of circus moves that landed on the MNHockeyTv highlight package including one in the first half, an inside out move, that walked through a couple of TRIA players. Hanson was there to shut the door.
Nina Steigauf (UMD) slithered one off the post, a shot that was on the ice, to the right of goalie Hailey Hanson (MSU), who made 17 saves on 17 shots. Moments later it was Allie Franco (Minnesota) who crushed one off the post past Zahn but the game remained 1-0.
TRIA finally broke through to open the scoring when Garton made a strong push up the left wing wall and wired a pass with pace to the waiting Chloe Boreen (UST) who had the quick tap in off the right of the crease. Zahn finished the first half with 11 saves. TRIA went up 2-0 after Stella Retrum (Penn State) pulled a puck out of a scrum on the left wing wall. She raced to the front of the net from left to right and beat Sedona Blair (UNH) with under 15 minutes to play in the game.
Lake Cowgirl took over the final fifteen minutes of the half with several scoring chances but it was Groess who slammed the door. Retrum added her second of the game on an empty net goal and Garton found the back of the net the same way for the final margin at 4-0. The win sends TRIA to the championship game on Thursday.
REMAX Advantage Plus 5 - Tradition Mortgage 2
Unlike the evening’s first playoff game which took a while for the game’s first goal, this game saw the twine dented just thirty seconds into the game. REMAX Advantage Plus Brieja Parent (SCSU) fired one past the low blocker for Tradition Mortgage goaltender Anna Larose (Lindenwood) for the 1-0 lead
REMAX kept the pressure with three more first half goals enroute to a 4-0 lead at the break. Ellie Morrison (Dartmouth) had an assist on all four goals and finished with a four point night. Parent scored back-to-back goals giving her four on the season. Sam Broz (Brown) and Ava Lindsay (Minnesota) added to the lead.
Tradition fought back and turned the momentum in the second half and were rewarded with their first goal of the game by Maya Jones (Union) and then later in the game Grace Delmonico (SCSU) scored off a scramble to cut the deficit to 4-2 with 6:30 to go in the second half. Tradition was feeling the momentum but Broz had none of that as she pulled a puck from the right corner to the mid slot area and ripped one home past Tradition goalie Lauren Larson (Sacred Heart).
Annika Lavender (St. Michael's) made 15 saves to earn the win in goal for REMAX.
REMAX cruised to the semi-finals and a date with league leading Ace Hardware on Wednesday while Tradition will face Lake Cowgirl in the consolation game on Wednesday evening as well.