Performance Office Papers Stops Tradition Mortgage to Advance in Dangle League Playoffs

Braemar Arena – August 12, 2025 — The Dangle League playoffs opened with an upset special as No. 5 seed Performance Office Papers, losers of four straight to close the regular season, flipped the script with a gritty 2-1 victory over No. 4 seed Tradition Mortgage in the single-game elimination opener at Braemar Arena.

Performance Office Papers, who had been shut out twice by Tradition Mortgage during the regular season 5-0 on opening night and 3-0 just 24 hours earlier), came out with renewed energy. They struck first when Mia Sutch (Centennial/Spring Lake Park) buried a feed from Cate Fischer (Maple Grove) late in the first half to give the underdogs a 1-0 lead.

Tradition answered early in the second half as Evelyn Lundeen  (Chaska./Chanhassen) tied the game, finishing a setup from Alexa Bricko (Woodbury) and Ruby Lenk (Holy Family) at 29:35. But Performance Office Papers refused to back down. Just over six minutes later, Aleah La Fleur  (Breck) netted what proved to be the game-winner, assisted by Kate Koschinska (Waconia) and Kayla Starr (Edina), restoring the lead at 2-1.

Goaltending was the difference down the stretch. Performance Office Papers split the netminding duties, with Gianna Marchese (Rosemount) stopping all 10 shots she faced in the first half and Kayla Swartout (Holy Family) turning aside 12 of 13 in the second to secure the win. Tradition Mortgage’s Taylor Thompson (Forest Lake) kept her team in it with 22 saves on 24 shots, but the offense couldn’t solve the combined efforts of Marchese and Swartout.

With the victory, Performance Office Papers advances to face top-seeded Hepp’s Salt in the night’s third game, while Tradition Mortgage’s season comes to a close with a 3-6-0 record.