Rapids Defeats East-GOING TO THE STATE- 2016
Rapids snatches 7AA title in closing seconds
By Tim How, 02/25/16, 10:30PM PST
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The Timberlake Lodge Game Recap: Grand Rapids 6, Duluth East 5
It would have been impossible to write a better script for the Section 7AA final between Grand Rapids and Duluth East. It was reality TV at its finest. The two teams played an emotional, rollercoaster game in front of a rowdy crowd on local television. There were big hits, beautiful goals and plenty of lead changes. But, what would a drama be without the ultimate ending?
Alex Adams crashed hard to the net in the closing seconds of the third period and slammed a rebound into the net to give Grand Rapids the 6-5 win over nemesis Duluth East. The Thunderhawk win ended a seven-year championship run for Duluth East. It also marked the first time Grand Rapids beat Duluth East in a section final. Ever.
It looked bleak for the orange and black faithful in the middle of the third period. The Hounds scored two goals 1:31 apart to turn a 3-3 tie into a 5-3 advantage. It looked like so many section finals past where the Thunderhawks play well, but not quite well enough to slay the beast that is Mike Randolph and the Duluth East machine.
This night was different. Jonah Bischoff, who didn’t have a single point on any of the 15 Grand Rapids goals scored in the first two playoff games, single-handedly drew the Thunderhawks even. He scored twice in just 44 seconds to electrify the crowd and swing the pendulum back to the side of the top-seeded Grand Rapids squad.
Amsoil Arena crowd of 6,100 fans was in a frenzy, or at least the pro-Thunderhawk crowd was. They stayed that way until well after the final buzzer.
A penalty was called against Duluth East, giving Grand Rapids a power play with just over two minutes left in the hockey game. The problem was that the daunted power play had gone flat in the playoffs. After converting around 28% of the time in the regular season, Grand Rapids had exactly zero power play goals in the playoffs coming into this last ditch attempt. They couldn’t convert on this one either.
With 10 seconds left on the game clock, North Dakota commit Gavin Hain skated down the left wing and sent a shot towards the goal. Senior Alex Adams drove hard to the net to corral the rebound and send Grand Rapids into the state tournament. Cue one of the most glorious team celebrations in school history.
After a celebration in the corner of the rink, Adams bolted to the bench and leaped clear over the boards into a pile of waiting teammates. Still six seconds left on the clock, but the miracle had already played out in this one.
The Rapids faithful counted down the remaining seconds and turned Amsoil Arena into a Halloween Machine party, sending the Thunderhawks back to state for the first time since 2007.
Grand Rapids got the scoring started at the 5:21 mark of the first period when Bischoff sent his step-brother Blake McLaughlin on a rush up the left wing. McLaughlin fired a shot over the shoulder of Duluth East goalie Kirk Meierhoff and under the crossbar to make it 1-0.
Duluth East answered back quickly, like they always seem to this time of year. Ash Altmann scored his first goal of the game and just like that the game was tied.
Drake Anderson gave the Thunderhawks their second lead two minutes later. The overtime hero from the regular season meeting against the Hounds sent a wrist shot to the net from the right point. Mr. Hockey finalist Mitchell Mattson screened Meierhoff and the puck found its way into the back of the net.
Auston Crist and Ryan Peterson scored 26 seconds apart in the back half of the second period to give Duluth East their first lead at 3-2.
Hain drew Grand Rapids even again with a goal late in the second period. Adams, who had another monster game, sent a shot towards the net and the rebounds bounced off of Hain as he came to a stop in the crease. The redirect went into the net. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.
Hain and Mattson are tied for second in the state in playoff points with 11. Adams is fifth with nine.
Like so many times before in this rivalry, the wheels started falling off of the Thunderhawks early in the third period. It just looked like the bounces were not going to be favorable.
McLaughlin was stone-cold robbed by Meierhoff on a breakaway. Moments later, Altmann was cruising the other way on a breakaway of his own. He took a shot upstairs and boom, Duluth East regained the lead at 4-3.
Grand Rapids was able to rally because Gabe Holum made 29 stops on 34 shots, five of which were absolutely incredible. He improved to 16-1-0 on the season with a 2.17 GAA and a .895 save percentage. Holum is the first sophomore goalie to lead his team to the Section 7AA crown.
