Sports
Braves fall short at state
Tyler Ohmann
02/28/2012
For the 12 seniors on the Bottineau-Rugby (BR) roster Friday’s loss to Bismarck marked the end of their high school hockey journey.
That ending was littered with wins, losses and many goals, but it was only one goal that sunk the Braves this day.
The Braves battled the Demons to a 0-0 tie at the end of regulation. Brandon Oliver changed that for the demons at 4:26 of the first overtime period, as he notched an unassisted marker.
“It was a pretty tough feeling, because the seniors will never get that experience again of going to state and playing high school hockey,” senior and captain Logan Millican said of the game. “It was a really good game, and it was close. We should have put it away, but it didn’t turn out that way.”
The overtime goal was the first that snuck past senior netminder Cody Brooks the entire game, as he had a stellar performance stopping 40 shots in a little more than three periods in the game.
However, the loss wasn’t just tough on the seniors, junior Cody Longie also said the game against Bismarck was and especially difficult loss.
“It was pretty tough,” Longie said. “Both teams were disappointed because they lost the first day, and we really wanted to go on.”
Longie played in the tournament despite dislocating his shoulder the week prior during the West Region Tournament.
“It was fine, it was a little sore,” Longie said.
In the loss to the Demons, who went on to beat Minot for fifth place on Saturday, the Braves were unable to capitalize on several man-advantage situations.
Each team was 0-for-5 on the power play, but BR failed to score on a 5-on-3 opportunity in the second period, as well as a power play early in the third.
However, the Braves were able to kill two Demon power plays in the third period that helped send the game to overtime.
“We went in with a winning attitude, but it didn’t turn out, and it’s tough,” Longie said. “It’s always great to go there.”
Bottineau had to play Bismarck after losing to eventual champs Fargo North 4-1 in Thursday’s opening round.
The Spartan scoring began at 3:49 of period one as they capitalized on a BR penalty and Jackson Graalum put North up 1-0.
Longie answered with a power play goal of his own to even the score at one a piece at 9:36. Harrison Aide was credited with his 37th helper of the season.
The goal was Longie’s 10th of the year, and was a pretty memorable one as he fired a blistering slapshot through teammates and opponents alike to find the back of the net and past North netminder Nick Schmit.
“It felt great to put that one in,” Longie said.
However, the good times would not last as North stormed back with a goal at 10:54. Brandon Smith was the perpetrator this time, and put the Spartans up 2-1.
That would be as close as the score would get as Graalum and Max Teschendorf would each score in the second period to get to the final score of 4-1.
Brooks finished with 33 saves as the Spartans out shot BR 37-18.
“We didn’t really play our best game at all,” Millican said. “Things weren’t really working for us.”
This was the second time playing at state for both players, and the majority of the BR roster.
For Millican this time around was a much different experience, though the result was similar.
“When I was a sophomore I was young and it was nerve wracking,” Millican said. “This year it was more like we still have a job to do. We need to win.”
The 2010 state tournament trip was a tough one on the Braves offense as well as they lost 6-0 and 6-1 to finish the season 15-10-1.
This season’s trip, the Braves entered at 19-5, but Millican said that BR could not get their lines to gel at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
“We played two good teams and they had good defense, and stuff didn’t really click too well,” Millican said. “It’s always a great experience getting to play in the Ralph, it’s a great venue.”
Millican also did not fair well on the individual front as Casey Fugleberg of Grand Forks-Red River won the Senior Athlete of the Year or North Dakota’s ‘Mr. Hockey’ award as it is sometimes refereed to. Millican was the other finalist for the award after winning the same award for the West Region.
Millican concluded the season as the state’s leading point-getter and goal scorer finishing with 40 goals and 24 assists for a total of 64 points in 26 games played.
Longie finished with 33 points as a defenseman on the year, a position he feels comfortable with.
“Back in the day I liked scoring goals and getting to play with the forwards,” Longie said. “So it kind of works out.”
Longie looks forward to stepping up into a leadership role next season.
“Yeah, I’m going to have to step up and teach the younger kids,” Longie said.
Twelve names will be removed from the roster next season: Millican, Volk, Monson, Kihle, Martin, Bernstein, Neubauer, Lorenz, Gilje, Drader, Kippen and Brooks, and will become part of the Braves storied hockey history books.
Notes:
Kyle Volk (37) and Nick Monson (35) were among the top 25 in scoring in the state during their senior season.
Sophomore Harrison Aide, who had 57 points, finished in the top five, and also had the most helpers in the state with 40.
Cody Brooks finished the season with a 17-7 record and had 648 saves in 711 opportunities for a 91.1 save percentage. He also had a 2.65 goals against average in 25 2/3 games.