Ponies advance to semis with 5-0 win

by Rob Brent

The no. 2 seed Stillwater Ponies advanced to the semifinals after they defeated the no. 7 seeded Andover Huskies in the first round of the Class AA tournament. Senior goaltender Cal Conway starred for the Ponies making 23 saves for a shutout in a 5-0 win for Stillwater.

Stillwater got the game’s first significant chance when a screened shot from the point hit the post. That shot didn’t go in, but the Ponies followed up on the chance soon after to score the game’s first goal. Jonas Kohn fired a shot at the net from the point, and senior forward Brody Dustin backhanded the rebound to the net for his 29th goal of the season.

The Ponies extended their lead with another goal a few minutes later. With 9:17 remaining in the first period, Matthew Volkman wristed a shot to beat Andover’s Cash Cruitt, putting Stillwater up 2-0 early in the Class AA quarterfinal matchup.

While Stillwater’s offense was impressive in the first period, Cal Conway was equally up to the task. Conway made several key saves, including some of the penalty kill, to take the Ponies into the second period with a 2-0 lead. The senior made 11 saves to keep Andover off the board.

Stillwater extended its lead just over a minute into the second period on a great passing play that characterized the Ponies’ game. A cross-ice pass from one face-off circle to the other ended up in the back of the net, with the goal coming from Luca Jarvis. Stillwater’s puck movement was exceptional all game, and it resulted in their third goal of the matchup.

Luke Myers scored for the Ponies towards the end of the first period to add to Stillwater’s lead while Andover was still searching for a way to solve Cal Conway on the other end. With a 4-0 lead at the end of the second period, the Ponies appeared to be a shoo-in to emerge victorious and move on to the next round.

Stillwater added another goal late in the third period on a nice individual effort from Trey Fredenberg to put the final nail in the coffin. Cal Conway stopped all further opportunities from the Huskies, earning his third shutout of the season

With their victory in the first round, the Ponies earned the first spot in the Class AA semifinals. Stillwater will take on the winner of this afternoon’s game between no. 3 seed St. Thomas Academy and no. 6 seed Shakopee. The semifinal matchup takes place Friday at 6:00 PM with the chance to compete for the championship at stake.

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