Update: Video action from Willmar vs LDC and Morris/Benson vs Mankato East games has been posted.
WILLMAR -- The Willmar Cardinals scored their goals in clumps to defeat tenacious Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato 8-3 at the Holiday Classic at the Civic Center on Thursday.
"You've got to credit Litchfield," said Willmar coach Rick Dahle, "they were down 3-0 and battled back to tie it before we scored the last five goals. We kept working after that lull."
Willmar will play Detroit Lakes in the title game at 8 p.m. today while LDC and the Morris/Benson Area Storm play for third place.
First period goals by Chelsey Wierschem, Ali Sing and Jennie Mattison seemed to put Willmar on cruise control starting the second period.
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Dayna Sherman and Makenzie Anderson both scored in the stanza's second minute. At 8:24 Karlee Grangroth tied it 3-3, beating Willmar goalie Amanda Croonquist.
But after that Croonquist was air tight. Sing and Wierschem each scored again before the end of the period for a 5-3 lead.
Ashley Hutton, Taylor Sandberg and Meckenzie Dahle added insurance in the third.
Willmar 8, LDC 3
LDC (2-13) 0 3 0 -- 3
Willmar (6-7) 3 2 3 -- 8
FIRST PERIOD - Wil: Chelsey Wierschem (Ali Sing, Sam Sing) 5:58, power play ... Wil: A. Sing (Carlie Freese) 9:57 .. Wil: Jennie Mattison (Meckenzie Dahle) 12:25, pp
SECOND PERIOD - LDC: Dayna Sherman (unassisted) 1:12 ... LDC: Makenzie Anderson (Ellie Black) 1:23 ... LDC: Karlee Grangroth (Mallory Anderson) 8:24 ... Wil: Ali Sing (unassisted) 10:24, power play ... Wil: Wierschem (Mattison) 10:33
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THIRD PERIOD - Wil: Ashley Hutton (Wierschem) 5:47 ... Wil: Taylor Sandberg, Wierschem) 8:34 ... Wil: Meckenzie Dahle (A. Sing) 13:56, powerplay
GOALIE SAVES - Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato: Erin Wegner 15-14-9-38 ... Willmar: Amanda Croonquist 5-6-5-16
Morris/Benson Area 9, Mankato East/Loyola 4
Freshman wing Dani Schultz scored a natural hat trick over seven minutes spanning the first and second period and went on to finish with five goals, giving her 20 on the season.
Center Sam Falk assisted on four of those goals, plus the first of two goals by Sara Rajewsky.
Storm freshman goalie Brooke Falk made 35 stops.
The Cougars' Carey Hoffman had two goals and an assist.
Mankato East/Loyola (1-10) 1 1 2 -- 4
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MBA (9-2) 3 2 4 -- 9
FIRST PERIOD - MEL: Steph Anderson (unassisted) 3:32 ... MBA: Emily Rajewsky (Sara Rajewsky) 11:20 ... MBA: Dani Schultz (Brooke Anderson) 12:07 ... MBA: Schultz (Sam Fulk) 16:26
SECOND PERIOD - MBA: Schultz (Falk) 1:21 .... MBA: Sara Rajewsky (Falk) 5:00, shorthanded ... MEL: Anderson (Carey Hoffman, Savannah Quandt) 13:39
THIRD PERIOD - MBA: Brooke Anderson (unassisted) 4:47, power play ... MBA: Schultz (Falk) 7:56 ... MBA: Schultz (Falk) 11:09 .. MEL: Hoffman (Anderson, Quandt) 12:10 ... MEL: Hoffman (Anderson) 12:59 ... MBA: Sara Rajewsky (E. Rajewsky, Abby Knutson) 14:29
GOALIE SAVES - Mankato East/Loyala: Ashley Jensen 10-2-10-22 ... Morris/Benson Area: Brooke Falk 9-14-12-35
