Roeske Shuts Down Empowers in 3-1 win

Edina, MN - The Dangle league continued their trek through the season with one game on Tuesday night from Braemar Arena.  Performance Office Papers skated to a hard fought 3-1 win over Empowers Performance.  

The game took on the feel of a mid-season encounter and had plenty of meaning early in the season.  Entering the game, the second place Empowers Performance and third place Performance Office Papers (POP) looked to keep pace with Hepp’s Salt Co. who stood alone in first place to start the day.  The win lifted POP into a tie of first place in points with Hepp’s who now has a game in hand and can reclaim sole possession of first place.   

POP opened the scoring just :15 into the game on a beautiful three-way set up off the right wing wall in the Empowers zone.  Ruby Rauk (Minnetonka) was the benefactor off the goal mouth from a give and go set up between Sophie Stramel (Rosemount) and Lauren Mack (Minnetonka).  Rauk was waiting for the feed from Mack to tap it past Empowers goaltender Nora Hanon (Edina) 

The teams exchanged momentum swings throughout the first half That was erased with a terrific second half of the first session by Empowers Performance had a 20-15 shots on goal advantage in the first half.  Kaydence Roeske (River Lakes) was sterling in making 20 first half saves and went on to earn player of the game recognition with a 34 save evening.  

Mack added a second point on the game for POP as she made it 2-0 on a slick play where she dangled her way to the slot and shifted her weight to get Hannon to commit and tucked it home for the 2-0 lead.  It was short lived as Josie Linn (Holy Family Catholic) responded right off the ensuing faceoff.  The goal was assisted by Brook Gnetz (Woodbury).  

A goal late in the game by POP’s Laney Grentz added the insurance policy in the game’s final minute.  The win improves POP’s record to 2-1 on the season while Empower’s Performance dropped to 1-1-1 and trail the race to first place by one point on the season with 3 games played.  Both teams will be in action next week from Braemar Arena.