Wisconsin state hockey: Jane Volgren scores four straight to lead St. Croix Valley Fusion to final
MIDDLETON, Wis. – There are rallies, and then there are Jane Volgren-led rallies.
Volgren scored four consecutive goals over the final 5:31 of the second period to help the St. Croix Valley Fusion overcome a three-goal deficit for a 7-4 victory over Superior/Northwestern on Thursday in the semifinals of the Wisconsin girls state hockey tournament.
The second-seeded Fusion (24-4) bring a 17-game winning streak into Saturday’s title game against the top-seeded Bay Area Ice Dogs (25-2), a De Pere co-op of Green Bay-area schools. Bay Area defeated fourth-seeded Sun Prairie West co-op 5-1 in the opening semifinal.
“We fell behind and kind of, not gave up, but we were just slow and methodical, and they took advantage of it,” Fusion coach Matt Cranston said. “I was talking about getting the momentum … all we’ve got to do is get one. Get the momentum because momentum is such a powerful thing.
“And we got it and we just kept on rolling.”
Volgren’s outburst erased a 4-1 deficit after the Spartans scored the first three goals of the period.
Superior/Northwestern blitzed the Fusion with a pair of goals nine seconds apart in the opening minute of the second period. Adalyn Benson capped a two-pass rush with a goal from the slot to make it 2-1 just 44 seconds into the period.
On the ensuing possession, Aaliyah Haroldson punched in a rebound from outside the left post for a two-goal lead.
The Spartans continued their surge on a rush by Gianna Geissler, whose shot from the left side hit Katelyn Gustafson’s stick and trickled up over her shoulder and into the back of the net to make it 4-1.
Volgren got the Fusion back in it with a pair of goals three minutes apart, scoring on a putback and then a shot from the left circle with 2:29 left in the period. She tied it with another shot from the left circle, then capped the comeback with her fourth consecutive goal with 11 seconds remaining in the stanza.
“Obviously, I was kind of upset that we were losing 4-1. I really was looking for only one at a time,” said Volgren, playing with a stick borrowed from a teammate after leaving her sticks at home.
Jenna Volgren, Jane’s freshman sister, made it 6-4 midway through the third period, weaving in from the left side and tucking a backhander under the crossbar.
Morgan Kivel added an empty net goal with 2:45 left.
“I think we started to unravel a little bit,” Spartans coach Doug Trentor said. “Our kids have been really good at resolve this year, but at that point in time, we had a hard time kind of stopping the flow and one thing led to another.”
Freshman Lila Sislo put Superior/Northwestern up 1-0 with an opportunistic goal with seven minutes remaining in the first period, pouncing on a loose puck in front of the crease.
Sophia Munson brought the Fusion even three minutes later with a bullet from the high slot.
Gustafson finished with 22 saves as Superior/Northwestern outshot the Fusion 26-25. Peyton Benoit had 18 saves for the Spartans.
The Fusion lost to Bay Area 5-1 in the third game of the season.
“We’re much, much improved, I think,” Cranston said. “We’re better, I think, but obviously they’re fantastic,”
The current version of the Fusion is a co-op with River Falls/Baldwin-Woodville/St. Croix Central. A previous configuration of the River Falls co-op that also included other area schools with the current three won three consecutive state titles from 2009-11.
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