Girls hockey pulls away in a nail-biter and improves to 6-1 on the season

The Hopkins/Park Royals girls hockey team hosted the Rogers Royals in a tight matchup Tuesday night at the Minnetonka Ice Arena. Coming into the matchup, the Hopkins/Park was 5-1, and the Rogers Royals were 2-1.

Both teams have been relying on their star forwards, for Hopkins/Park, Minnesota – Duluth commit Kylie Hanley, senior, and for Riders, Paetyn Levis, senior, Ohio state commit.

Rodgers struck first, but Hopkins/Park equalized with a goal by Katherine Kasica, eighth grader, her first goal of the season. Just 30 seconds later, Hanley netted her 11th goal of the season and gave the Hopkins/Park Royals a 2-1 lead.

By the end of the period, Rodgers tied up the game at two goals a piece.

Only 18 seconds into the second period, Erin Brousseau, freshman, put Hopkins/Park back in the lead. The Royals followed up with three more goals in the second, one from Mary O’neil, junior, Hanley’s second of the game, and Kallie Kuehmichel, senior.

At the end of the second, the Hopkins/Park Royals were up by a score of 6-2.

In the third period, the Royals took two penalties in the third and gave up two goals making the game 5-3 Hopkins/Park. In desperation, Rodgers pulled their goalie and sent out an extra skater, resulting in a goal making the game 5-4 Hopkins/Park, but they could not pull through and score another resulting in a 5-4 final score.

The final shots on goal were 31-26 in favor of Rodgers. The Royals will take the ice again this Friday, December 1, against Duluth.