Boys' hockey falls in section tournament

The Luverne boys’ hockey team opened the section tournament with a 9-4 victory over Fairmont on Tuesday, March 16, in Luverne.
On Thursday, March 18, the Cardinals ended their season with an 8-0 loss to Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato.
 
LHS 9, Fairmont 4
Luverne entered Tuesday’s opening round in the section tournament having outscored Fairmont 16-4 during their two regular season meetings.
The two teams played to an even 1-1 tie in the first period before Luverne scored five goals to pull away from Fairmont, 9-4.
The visiting Fairmont Cardinals scored the first goal of the game and held that lead for nine minutes, putting the home crowd inside Blue Mound Ice Arena on the edge of their seats.
With four minutes left in the opening period, Cade Wenninger drew Luverne even by putting one between the pipes. Carlton Oftedahl recorded the assist on the goal.
It was Wenninger scoring the first three goals in the second period for Luverne to put them up 4-1.
Brock Behrend and Oftedahl scored the next two goals for Luverne to give them a commanding 6-1 lead.
Fairmont wrapped up the second period by scoring two goals to trim Luverne’s lead to 6-3.
Fairmont opened the scoring in the third period to inch closer at 6-4.
Behrend put the Cardinals back on top with his second goal of the game.
Oftedahl scored his second goal of the game to put the Cardinals up 8-4.
Behrend wrapped up the scoring by recording his third goal of the game to make the final score 9-4.
Shaid Shearer recorded 48 saves for the Cardinals.
 
LDC 8, LHS 0
Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato used a four-goal second period to pull away from the Cardinals on Thursday en route to an 8-0 victory.
The Dragons scored two goals in the first period, including a goal with 18 seconds left in the period to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room.
In the second period, the Dragons added three more goals in the first 10 minutes to build a 5-0 lead.
The Dragons added one more in the period for good measure and took a 6-0 lead into the locker room.
The Dragons scored two more goals in the third period to make the final score 8-0.
The Cardinals finished the season with an 8-12 record.
The game against the Dragons marked the final time seniors Cade Wenninger, Shaid Shearer, Cooper Arends and Carlton Oftedahl took the ice for the Cardinals.
“They truly held us together,” Luverne head coach Phil Paquette said. “We relied so heavily on them to be leaders. To be there each and every day. Without them it would have been a huge struggle. Those four seniors kept us on the tracks and helped keep us in every game.
Shearer finished the regular season as the saves leader in the state of Minnesota. Paquette said he was the glue that helped keep the team together.
“Shaid’s stats speak for themselves,” Paquette said. “He stuck with it and worked through those challenges. Facing shot after shot. Without him back there each and every night, I don’t even want to think about it. He was huge for us. He was accountable game in and game out.”
Wenninger finished his senior season with 14 goals and 17 assists.
“He’s been a steady leader his entire career,” Paquette said. “You always know what you’re going to get from him. You can rely on him day in and day out. He’s always going to give you his best. We needed that this year.”
Oftedhal finished his senior season with 27 points. Arends finished with 13 points.
“Cooper and Carlton both came so far from the time they were sophomores with us to their senior years,” Paquette said. “If we don’t have that growth from them, the rest of the group would have struggled.”