Announcement
The 2009 MMGHSHL State Playoffs at Eddie Edgar
The Grosse Pointe South Lady Blue Devils beat the Ann Arbor Pioneers 3-2 at Eddie Edgar on Sunday March 15, 2009. It was a struggle that left the excited fans with dry throats on both sides of the stands, as it took South 2 OT periods to claim the state championship.
Although South dominated the shot clock in the first 11-4, the Pioneer’s Emy Guttman drew first blood unassisted in just the second shift, streaking through the defense and tucking a shot in from behind the goal. The period ended 1-0 in favor of AA.
Shots in the second were GPS 8 to AA’s 9, and shots stayed even for the balance of the game. South’s Emma Hull tied it on the powerplay at 11:08, from Erin Shook and Rae Sklarski. South’s Claire Boyle added insurance, making it 2-1 with another powerplay goal at 7:28, with Shook and Sklarski again assisting.
The Pioneers outshot South in the third 10-4. South’s Marissa Monforton almost buried the Pioneers when, shorthanded, she clanged a shot off the crossbar at 6:03. But Ann Arbor’s Angie Chronis rose to the occasion and tied the game 2-2 on a late powerplay (1:41 remaining), from Guttman and Kristina Keil.
While penalties in regulation were South 6 to AA’s 5, South spent much of the first 8 minute OT period with skaters in the box, assessed for 3 penalties (to AA’s 1). However, no scores resulted for either team. South somehow killed 59 seconds of a 5 on 3 disadvantage in the final 2 minutes of the first OT, with Ann Arbor pressing hard. Shots in the first OT were GPS 1, AA 2.
The second OT ended quickly, in the third shift, with the game winner by South’s Shannon Giannino, unassisted, at 6:22. The goal came amidst a tremendous scrum in front of the net, with bodies falling left and right. The final score was 3-2 South, with shots for the game 26-25 in South’s favor. South scored 2 PP goals on 5 opportunities, and gave up one PP goal on 8 times shorthanded. South got great defense from Hull, Lorna Burns, Andrea Marshall, Cara Monforton, and Sarah Auk. The goalies stood on their heads and played great at both ends, but South’s CJ Jarboe got better as the game wore on.
CONGRATULATIONS LADY BLUE DEVILS!
