KALAMAZOO, MI – South Dakota’s team of 14-and-under hockey players fell to the Indiana Irish Rovers 3 to 2 in overtime during the final round of pool play in the 2022 USA Hockey Tier II 14U National Tournament. Team South Dakota (Team SD) qualified for the quarterfinal round, however, and will play the Granite State Wild at 10:00 A.M. on Sunday, April 3.
Once again, Team SD got on the board early. Just over three minutes into the game, Rapid City forward Colton Merchen scored a powerplay goal on a feed from Pierre forward Carter Sanderson and Brookings forward Riley Linstad to lead 1 to 0.
“The puck got up to the point and Riley [Linstad], our point guy, took a shot,” Merchen recalled. “The first shot originally got blocked and I just found the puck in the mix, took a shot far side and it snuck in
“We had a few changes throughout the game where I got to go on the powerplay and lead it,” Linstad said. “I got a few shots on net, which led to a goal by [Merchen].”
The Irish Rovers answered with 4:42 remaining in the first, and the period ended in a 1 to 1 tie.
In the second, Team SD outshot Indiana 13 to 6, but couldn’t find the back of the net. A host of penalties defined the period, with Team SD called for three and the Irish Rovers for six. Both teams headed to the locker room after the second, tied 1 to 1.
Team SD and the Irish Rovers went back-and-forth in the third, and Indiana took the lead with 3:12 left in the period on a backhand shot that snuck over goalie Luke Moeller. Just 17 seconds later, Rapid City forward Cameron Ritter struck back for Team SD, tying the score 2 to 2 on assists from Aberdeen forward Carson Myhre and Sanderson, who notched his second of the game.
But Indiana scored with 1:01 remaining in the sudden-death overtime period to hand Team SD its first loss of the tournament. Team SD’s earlier wins give them enough points to reach the playoffs, however, and they advance to the quarterfinals on Sunday, April 3.
“Today we got a lot of shots on net; we had great opportunities, we just couldn’t really bury it and put the puck in the net,” said Sanderson. “Tomorrow we’re looking forward to playing in the quarterfinals, and we’re ready to win a national championship.”
The Tier II 14U National Championship Game will be played at 10:00 A.M. eastern time on Monday, April 4. All games are available for viewing online at Hockey TV (www.hockeytv.com).
