HJ Sports Blog

By Matt Kane
Sports Editor
LONG LAKE — Delano took sole possession of first place in the Wright County Conference (WCC) Saturday afternoon with a 5-3 win at Orono.

The win came two days after Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato defeated Delano 4-2 and bumped the Tigers back to a tie at the top of the standings with the Spartans. Delano enters this week 7-2 in the WCC and 14-7 overall. Orono stands at 6-3 and 12-7-1 overall.

Saturday’s win wasn’t easy, as Delano had to come back from a 3-1 lead that Orono had built by the two-minute mark of the second period.

The Spartans broke the 1-1 tie the two teams carried out of the first intermission with two power play goals in the first two minutes of the second period. Delano defenseman Chaz Heikkila found an answer with a power-play goal for the Tigers to cut the Spartan lead to 3-2 and thats where it stood after two periods.

Apparently, Heikkila’s goal was just what Delano needed, as it was the first of four unanswered goals. The final three goals came in the third period.

Drake Hunter scored the first of Delano’s three third-period goals at 13:36 to tie the game at three. A minute later, Jack Emmer gave the Tigers their second lead, 4-3, with his second even-strength goal of the game. The insurance goal was scored by Ben Ylitalo with 53 seconds to play in the game.

Emmer gave Delano a 1-0 lead with his first goal 53 seconds into the first period. Orono’s Ross Luedtke scored 47 seconds later to knot the game at one.

Luedtke had three points on the goal and two assists.

Orono managed to keep Delano sniper Tyler Heinonen out of the goals column on the statistics sheet, ending Heinonen’s personal goal-scoring streak at 10 games, but that didn’t mean the junior didn’t contribute. Instead of scoring goals against the Spartans, Heinonen was setting them up — four times, in all.
Heinonen assisted on both Emmer goals, and on the goals by Heikkila and Ylitalo.

To go with the third-period goal, Ylitalo also had two assists. They came on Heikkila’s goal and Emmer’s second goal.

Nick Vatnsdal had two assists for the Tigers. He helped set up Hunter’s game-tying goal and Ylitalo’s insurance goal.

Jason Dzurik won the goaltending battle with Orono’s David Crotteau. Dzurik made 26 saves. Crotteau made 21 saves.

L/DC 4, Delano 2
DELANO — That Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato (L/DC) was going to be a tough opponent Thursday night couldn’t have come as a surprise to Delano. The Dragons always seem to give the Tigers a run for their money, and Thursday night those Dragons stole that money with a 4-2 win over the Tigers.

The loss ended a five-game winning streak for Delano, and it put them in a dead heat with Orono for the conference lead heading into Saturday’s game against the Spartans.

After a scoreless first period Thursday night, L/DC scored three straight goals in the first 12 minutes of the second.

Chase Danielson broke the scoreless tie when he slipped a puck behind Delano goalie Jason Dzurik at 2:07 of the period, and Nate Adams and John Raisanen jumped on board with goals at 8:40 and 12:02, respectively.

Delano finally put a goal on the scoreboard, when Dillon McLain scored at 13:17 of the period, but the Tigers never caught up to the Dragons.

Tyler Heinonen extended his goal-scoring streak to 10 games with a power-play goal at 8:19 of the third period. The goal put the Tigers within reach of the Dragons, 3-2, but Adams scored his second goal of the game four minutes later to give L/DC the 4-2 win.

Quinn Impola had three assists for the Dragons. Adams had the two goals, and Brice Ryynanen had two assists.

Dillon McLain had the second assist on Heinonen’s goal for a two-point night. His second-period goal was assisted by Jack Emmer.

Bobby Emmer had the first assist on Heinonen’s goal.

Dzurik made 33 saves on 37 L/DC shots. Bryce Johnson won the game with 29 saves on 31 Delano shots.
Delano won the first meeting with L/DC 4-2 Dec. 19 at the Delano Area Sports Arena. The Tigers and Dragons split the season series in four of the past five seasons. In the 2006-07 season, Delano won the first game 4-1, and the second game ended in a 0-0 tie.Delano 5, Orono 3
Saturday, Feb. 6
Orono Ice Arena
1    2    3    -    F
Delano    1    1    3    -    5
Orono    1    2    0    -    3
Scoring First period: 1. D — J. Emmer (Heinonen, Heikkila), 0:53; 2. O — Luedtke (Smith, Johnson), 1:40. Second period: 3. O — Donahoe (Knutsen, Luedtke), pp, 0:57; 4. O — Knutsen (Luedtke, Ylitalo), pp, 2:16; 5. D — Heikkila (Ylitalo, Heinonen), pp, 8:19. Third period: 6. D — Hunter (Prinsen, Vatnsdal), 13:36; 7. D — J. Emmer (Heinonen, Ylitalo), 14:37; 8. D — Ylitalo (Heinonen, Vatnsdal), 16:07.
Saves: D — Dzurik 26; O — Crotteau 21.
L/DC 4, Delano 2
Thursday, Feb. 4
Litchfield Arena
1    2    3    -    F
Delano    0    1    1    -    2
L/DC    0    3    1    -    4
Scoring First period: No scoring. Second period: 1. L/DC — Danielson (Ryynanen), 2:07; 2. L/DC — Adams (Haataja, Impola), 8:40; 3. L/DC — Raisanen (Ryynanen, Impola), 12:02; 4. D — D. McLain (J. Emmer), 13:17. Third period: 5. D — Heinonen (B. Emmer, D. McLain), pp, 8:19; 6. L/DC — Adams 2 (Janckila, Impola), pp, 12:22.
Saves: D — Dzurik 33; L/DC — Johnson 29.

By Matt Kane
Sports Editor
DELANO — According to the whispers in the crowd, the Delano dance team put in its best efforts of the season in both the jazz/funk and high kick genres at the Section 3AA meet, but those hometown fans at the Tiger Activity Center weren’t the ones issuing out berths in this weekend’s state meet. That power was held by the judges, who didn’t feel the Tigers did enough to dance at the Target Center.

Delano finished one spot out of a state berth with fourth place in the high kick, and finished fifth in jazz.
“I’m disappointed that we don’t get to experience (state), but, then again, the season, itself, was a great experience,” Delano senior Katie Nelson said.

Tears of disappointment began to flow from the eyes of the Delano dancers when “Marshall” was read by the public address announcer as the third and final state-bound team in high kick.

Despite having a team member fall during its routine, Marshall was judged the section champion in high kick. Also going to Minneapolis are second-place Waconia and third-place Mound-Westonka.

The final points were not immediately available, but it was thought Delano was close to claiming the third and final spot in high kick.

“It was neck-and-neck, I feel. It was close,” Nelson said.

If it were up to the hometown fans and the Delano dancers, the Tigers would be performing at state this week.

“From the fans, I was kind of expecting (to hear Delano), but there was nothing we could do. It depends on the day and the judges,” Delano junior Taylor Converse said.

All Delano could do after it was finished performing was hope.

“I was hoping, but I knew there were some other good teams, too,” said Nelson. “I think it was just the way everyone else preformed, and it was up to the judges. It was out of our hands.”

The jazz results were announced prior to the high kick results. Mound-Westonka won the section championship, and will go to state with second-place Holy Family and third-place Marshall.

Being denied state will hurt for now for the Delano dancers, but they were quick to point out how far they have come since last season.

“Just to know where we were last year compared to this year is enough of an accomplishment in itself,” Nelson.

And the Tigers finished with their best.

“I’m disappointed, but I know we danced our best, and that’s all that counts,” Converse said. “We practiced our butts off this week, and we had a great season. There was nothing more I could have asked for.”

Nothing but a state-meet berth. Converse can ask for that next season, when she is a senior.
Nelson was one of three seniors who danced her last dance at Delano. The other two were Heather Frach and Molly Hutchins.