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Loyola edges Lyons in OT
Loyola goalie Clare Kennedy sweeps away a save during the March 12 game against Lyons at the Centennial Ice Rinks in Wilmette. | Joe Cyganowski~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 12, 2013 11:04PM
WILMETTE — Loyola freshman Emma Wright scored the overtime, game-winning goal in the Ramblers’ 2-1 victory over Lyons in Tuesday night’s Blackhawk Cup State Tournament girls hockey quarterfinal at Centennial Ice Arena.
The goal, which came 5:51 into the first (seven-minute) overtime, was scored when Wright re-directed a shot by sophomore Courtney Cheevers. Junior standout Erin O’Connor was credited with the second assist.
The No. 6-seeded Ramblers (12-11-2) outshot the No. 3-seeded Lions 46-12, but Lyons sophomore netminder Amanda DiNella (44 saves) had a fine game.
Loyola advances to next Tuesday’s semifinal where it will meet No. 2 seed Lake Forest at The Edge in Bensenville. The game is scheduled to start at 8:25 p.m. Lake Forest defeated the Ramblers in last year’s semifinal.
Loyola, with eight more available skaters, dominated the quarterfinal against Lyons (8-2-4). But Ramblers coach Conor Sedam said he feared his team could lose as a 1-1 contest neared the end of regulation and stretched into overtime.
“It’s one of those where you worry about a bad bounce, and your goalie is cold because she’s not doing that much,” he said. “But we just kept telling the girls, ‘Keep going to the net. Keep shooting the puck. You’re wearing them down. Stay after it!’ It paid off, eventually.”
O’Connor lit the lamp 2:56 into the first period when she scored off a Cheevers helper.
Lyons tied the game when junior Ellen Chiligris poked in a rebound at the 12:29 mark of the first period.
DiNella kept her team in the contest after that.
“Amanda (DiNella) does real well (in goal),” Lyons coach Jeff Henneman said. “But, we were really short (in numbers). We only had 10 skaters compared to (Loyola), which had 18. That really took a toll.”
