The Luverne girls’ hockey team captured its first Big South Conference Championship last week.
Luverne beat conference opponent Windom on the road 4-2 Thursday, Feb. 2, and beat the Bluejays in Waseca 6-1 Feb. 4.
The Cardinals are now 13-0 in the conference and 18-6 for the season.
The Cardinals were scheduled to take on Fairmont at home Monday, Feb. 7, rescheduled from Jan. 3.
Section 3A girls’ hockey tournaments will start with Luverne receiving a bye in the quarterfinal round.
Luverne’s semifinal game will be against the winner of the Fairmont/Windom matchup on home ice Saturday. Feb. 11.
LHS 4, Windom 2
The Luverne girls’ hockey team clipped the Eagles 4-2 Thursday, Feb 2, in Windom.
“We had a slow start and we didn’t play to our best,” head coach Tony Sandbulte said.
“However, it was nice to get a win on an off night and capture our first Big South Conference Championship.”
The Cardinals put together a great season with a conference record of 13-0.
Luverne beat their last conference opponents, Windom, by placing 58 shots on goal, with four getting past the Eagles’ goalie.
Windom placed 21 shots on senior Mallory Von Tersch, sneaking only two inside the net.
Scoring for Luverne started at 10:34 in the first period with eighth-grader Izzy Steensma scoring a short-handed goal unassisted.
Windom netted one of their own at 14:22.
Senior Kamryn Van Batavia closed the first period with a score at 14:57 assisted by sophomore Payton Behr and seventh-grader Ellie Van Batavia.
The only goal scored in period two was made by Cardinal Kamryn Van Batavia at 3:51 unassisted.
In the third period Windom and Luverne traded goals. Windom scored at 9:26 and Luverne at 14:36.
Ellie Van Batavia solidified Luverne’s win when she beat Windom’s goalie with an assist by her sister Kamryn.
LHS 6, Waseca 1
Luverne girls’ hockey traveled to take on the Waseca Bluejays Saturday, Feb. 4.
The Redbirds beat the Bluebirds 6-1 and took home the win.
Luverne roasted the Waseca goalie with 58 shots on goal and made six to the back of the net.
The Bluejays winged 10 shots on goal at Von Tersch, making one.
In period one freshman Greta McClure scored first at 1:40 unassisted.
Ellie Van Batavia followed less than a minute later, scoring at 2:30 assisted by senior Mallory Nelson.
Freshman Ella Apel finished the first period with a goal at 7:26 assisted by junior Anika Boll.
The first period tally was Luverne 3, Waseca 0.
The second period started with a goal 58 seconds in from Kamryn Van Batavia assisted by eighth-grader Macie Edstrom and Payton Behr.
Waseca scored their second and last goal of the game at 13:45.
At 13:52 Kamryn Van Batavia scored her second goal unassisted, and the second period ended with a Luverne 5-1 lead.
Eighth-grader Tenley Behr added one more goal for Luverne in the third period at 8:29 assisted by Steensma to finish off the victory 6-1.