Moose Lake Area clinches state title in 12UB hockey competition

Moose Lake Area Rebels 12UB girls hockey team rolled into town with an undefeated record and one thing on their minds – to take home the state title.

Their first game was Friday night against Burnsville. Burnsville scored at 8:45 in the first period to take a 1-0 lead. Both teams were scoreless in the second period. Moose Lake Area’s Jamie Bird scored unassisted at 1:24 of the third to tie the score 1-1. Asia Gobel scored the winning goal unassisted at 7:01 of the third period to remain undefeated and advance to the semifinal game at 6 p.m. Saturday against Red Wing.

Saturday’s game started with Red Wing scoring first at 5:44 of the first period. The Moose Lake Area team came back to tie the game at 1:03 in the first with Gobel scoring her second goal of the tournament, assisted by Jessica and Jamie Bird. The score remained 1-1 until the third period when the Moose Lake Area team took the lead at 5:38 with an unassisted goal from Jamie Bird. Red Wing tied the game just 30 seconds later on a power-play goal. At 3:49 left in the game Moose Lake Area’s Jessica Bird put the Rebels on top with her first goal of the tournament. The Rebels held on for a 3-2 win to advance to the championship game against Edina Green on Sunday.

Sunday’s faceoff would be the third meeting between the two teams, with the Moose Lake Area team winning the previous two. The game was scoreless through the first period. At 2:38 of the second period Edina took a 1-0 lead. The Rebels fought back and tied it at 6:08 in the second when Jessica Bird got her second goal of the tournament, assisted by Jamie Bird.

Edina retaliated at 13:57 to take a 2-1 lead late in the second period. Feeling the pressure and with the state championship on the line, the Rebels came out in the third period to tie the game at 7:29 with Gobel scoring her third goal of the tournament, assisted by Jamie Bird. The game remained tied and forced overtime to determine the new 12UB state champion.

With the Rebel fans at the edge of their seats and the Rebel girls’ undefeated record and first-ever state title on the line, Moose Lake Area hit the ice doing what they had done all year, working as a team and giving it all they’ve got. Jessica Bird scored the winning goat unassisted at 1:53 in overtime to clinch the state title.

Tags: moose lake, sports, hockey, updates