Big Sky loses shootout; moves on to quarterfinals of USA Hockey

LANSING, Mich. — The Big Sky Wildcats advanced to the quarterfinals at the USA Hockey 19-and-under Tier II girls national championships on Saturday, fighting to a 1-0 shootout loss, but gaining the necessary point to advance.

The Wildcats, who entered the day tied for third in their conference pool play, needed just one point to guarantee another game at the tournament as the puck dropped in the morning against suburban Chicago’s Sabre.

The teams scrapped through three penalty-filled, scoreless periods and an overtime session before Sabre’s Lilly Rutter was finally able to net the game-winner in a shootout. The Wildcats were stopped on all five tries.

Sabre goaltender Whitney Marasco has played more minutes than any other goalie in the tournament, so far, with a near flawless .939 save percentage. She has saved 13 more shots than any other goalie and has seen more than 75 shots than the other goalies with a better save percentage.

“Their goaltending is spectacular,” Big Sky coach Steve Tartaglino said.

“We outplayed that team, outshot them 29-13 all game. We outplayed them but their goaltender won the game for them.

“She carried the team. It was easy to see who was their star.”

The win gave Sabre (2-1) two points and lifted it to third place in the American conference. Big Sky (1-1-1), by virtue of stretching the game to overtime, earned a point to tie with Sabre at four points in the conference and earn the fourth spot in the quarterfinals.

The Wildcats earned the seventh seed in the quarterfinals and a game against the Portland (Maine) Pirates (3-0), the second overall seed and the winners of the National conference pool. The puck drops for all four quarterfinal games at 10:30 a.m. today. Winners advance to the semifinals at 6 p.m. with the national championship held at 9:30 a.m. on Monday.

Portland cruised through pool play, topping suburban Detroit’s Rochester 9-0 on Saturday. The Pirates have allowed one goal in three games at the tournament.

The Pirates have five skaters with multiple goals, led by Elizabeth Gross, with four, the second-most of any skater at the tournament. Starting goalie Mary Elizabeth Ostrander has saved all 23 of the shots she’s seen at the tournament, while backup Paige Fontaine brings a .938 save percentage into the quarterfinals.

Big Sky played in the same pool as Portland in its last trip to nationals, losing 3-2 in the last game of pool play in 2013.

“They were the team that eliminated us from advancing out of pool play,” Tartaglino said. “I know the girls that have been here in the past want to make it different this time.

“If the team comes out and plays the way they’re capable of playing, they can skate with this Portland team.”

Kalispell’s Stephanie Tartaglino has a team-high two goals for the Wildcats and Whitefish’s Laurel Davidson is one of four players with one. Missoula’s Sonja France, who had a pair of assists in pool play, leads Big Sky with three points.

Wildcats top goalie Kelsie Hopkins, from Miles City, enters the quarterfinals with an .895 save percentage. Backup Ellie DeVos from Missoula has an .826 save percentage.

“It’s going to come down to defense,” Steve Tartaglino said. “When we’re playing at this caliber, it’s going to be that one goal. We have to put as many shots as we can on (their goalie). It’s going to be that one that squeaks by that’s going to make the difference.”

This is the first time the Wildcats have made the quarterfinals at nationals, unable to get past pool play in 2011 and 2013.

Sabre 0 0 0 1 — 1

Big Sky 0 0 0 0 — 0

First period—none. Penalties—Sabre, Anna Cockey (high sticking), 5:03. Sabre, Halley Wilhelm (body checking), 8:23. Big Sky, Stephanie Tartaglino (tripping), 17:02.

Second period—none. Penalties—Big Sky, Tartaglino (cross checking), 5:21. Big Sky, Olivia Kack (holding), 15:48.

Third period—none. Penalties—Sabre, Wilhelm (hooking), 5:05. Big Sky, Taylor Neumann (holding), 9:29. Sabre, (too many skaters), 10:39. Big Sky, Tartaglino (body checking), 15:58.

Overtime—none. Penalties—Big Sky, Tylar Holland (body checking), 17:34. Sabre, Wilhelm (hooking), 19:27.

Shootout—1, Sabre, Lilly Rutter, 20:00.

Shots on Goal—Sabre 4-3-3-3—13. Big Sky 10-8-9-2—29. Power-play opportunities—Sabre 0 for 6; Big Sky 0 for 5. Goalies—Sabre, Whitney Marasco (29 shots-29 saves). Big Sky, Kelsie Hopkins (13-12).

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Championship bracket

Sunday

Quarterfinals

Boston (Mass.) vs. Cazenovia (N.Y.), 10:30 a.m.

East Coast Wizards (Mass.) vs. Sabre (Ill.), 10:30 a.m.

Portland (Maine) vs. Big Sky (Mont.), 10:30 a.m.

Alaska vs. Marquette (Mich.), 10:30 a.m.

Semifinals

Quarterfinal winners, 6 p.m.

Monday

National Championship, 9:30 a.m.