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Junior Clare Tipler keeps a puck in the offensive zone. Tipler. "I think my energy really help us have a great first period," Tipler said.

The girls hockey team finally had a good first period. They put five goals up on the Henry Sibley Warriors before Sibley was able to get a shot on goal. The win, a 9-1 thrashing by St. Paul United, put United one win away from their second state appearance in the last three years. Now, the only team that stands in their way is nine win South St. Paul, the team that won section 3A last year, beating United 2-1 in overtime.

“It is going to be our best game of the year,” junior Clare Tipler said, “We are going to play a complete game, a full three periods and it will be the best we’ve played so far this season.”

United outshot Henry Sibley 16-1 in a first period that was indicative of a very chippy game ahead. It took United just over eight minutes to score their first goal of the game, but then it only took seven to build up their five goal advantage (senior Sena Hanson punched home the first goal at 8:02 of the first period and junior Lauren Boettcher netted the fifth goal at 14:31 of the first). Naturally, Henry Sibley  got frustrated.

“We were beating them and we had to realize that,” Tipler said, “We couldn’t get drawn into their dirty plays and we just had to finish out the game.”

On their way to the five goal lead United put up several highlight reel goals on the board. One from senior Bridget Hoffmann who sniped the puck from a low angle high glove on the Warrior goalie. Another came from Sena Hanson who placed the puck top shelf where momma hides the cookies to make the game 4-0.

From the second period on United was just trying to see the game out. They were able to put four more goals past the Warrior goalie, but only outshot Sibley 23-6. Senior Catherine Johnson also gave up a powerplay goal to Laura Friedmann in the third period, once the game was in running time.

A highlight of a rather uneventful third period in which running time was used throughout, was the intentional offside that was called. It came with about five minutes left in the game when sophomore Sam Burke (Vis) came into the offensive zone before the puck, and in an act of mind reading, the referee determined that when junior Joie Phelps (Vis) touched the puck inside the zone, it was to intentionally halt the rush. Per MSHSL rules, the ensuing faceoff was moved to United’s defensive end.

This didn’t really effect the game that much as Sena Hanson was able to come down and score her fourth goal of the game to make the game 9-1 with three minutes to play

With the win, United advances to the section final for the second straight year. (Although United qualified for state in 2014, they did not play in the section final because their opponent, Achiever Academy, was disqualified.) And for the second straight year United will face South Saint Paul. Last year, South Saint Paul beat Untied in overtime, 2-1, after an impressive showing from the Packer goalie all night and some bad bounces.

“We had incredibly bad puck luck,” Tipler said, “[This year] we are the more skilled team and we want to win more than they do.”

The game starts at 7:30 at St. Thomas Ice Arena, the theme is black out and the winner goes to state.