Girls hockey: East Ridge tops Woodbury 6-3

Two teams that used to be one hit the ice on Tuesday, Jan. 3, as East Ridge and Woodbury faced off at Bielenberg Ice Arena.

Two years ago East Ridge and Woodbury played as a cooperative program, going 9-11-6 in 2009-10.

On Tuesday, in the third-ever game between the two teams, East Ridge sophomore forward Olivia Henderson scored three goals to help the Raptors (4-11-1; 1-8-1 SEC) beat Woodbury 6-3.

It was the first time East Ridge beat Woodbury. Last season, the Royals beat East Ridge 4-0 and 3-1.

In the two teams’ first meeting of this year, East Ridge opened up a 4-0 lead before Woodbury (1-15-1; 0-10-0 SEC) responded. Henderson scored a goal in the first period to give the Raptors a 1-0 lead, then netted two of three second-period goals for East Ridge as the Raptors went up 4-0.

In all, Henderson had a 4-point game with three goals and one assist and now has a team-high seven goals and nine points on the year. In addition, Erica Michaud scored two goals, Kayla Bender scored one goal and Katie Ahmann stopped 14 of 16 shots in the win over the Royals.

For Woodbury, Kayla Falconer and Nicole Stanton each had a goal and an assist and Rachel Letsche netted a goal in the loss.

After topping Woodbury, East Ridge fell to SEC foe Roseville 6-1 on Saturday, Jan. 7. Roseville, currently 12-2-2 overall, 10-0 in the SEC and ranked fifth in the state, outshot East Ridge 43-21 and opened up a 6-0 lead on East Ridge before the Raptors’ Kayla Griffith stopped the bleeding with a goal with 30 seconds remaining in the game.

After playing East Ridge, Woodbury suffered a pair of lopsided losses – falling 11-2 to Dodge County (12-5) in a non-conference game on Thursday, Jan. 5, and 13-2 to SEC power and 8th-ranked Mounds View on Saturday, Jan. 7.

Letsche netted both goals, giving her a team-high 10 goals and 11 points on the year – in the loss to the Mustangs (13-3; 9-1 SEC). Letsche also had one goal in the loss to Dodge County, while Molly Burke netted the other.

East Ridge faced off with 12th-ranked Stillwater and Woodbury took on Cretin-Derham Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 10, after the Bulletin went to press. Next, the Raptors play host to 9th-ranked White Bear Lake, while Woodbury travels to Stillwater on Friday, Jan. 13.

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