De Smet shuts out Marquette to earn 16th Mid States Challenge Cup hockey championship

With De Smet goalie Alexander Rivolta out of position after making a pair of saves during a late power play against Marquette in the in the Mid States Club Hockey Association Challenge Cup championship game, Stutzer intentionally knocked the net loose.

The play drew a penalty, making De Smet two men short, but it also saved a potential goal.

De Smet killed off the penalties and came away with a 3-0 win at the Centene Community Ice Center on Friday night.

“We were scrambling,” Stutzer said. “They had possession. Rivs was all the way in the corner. So, I just had to do what I had to do to save a goal.”

At the time, the Spartans were clinging to a 2-0 lead. A goal for the Mustangs would have given them life and momentum.

But De Smet’s penalty kill stepped up and Theodore Porter’s empty netter with three seconds left put an exclamation point on the championship.

“I don't want to say it worked out to our favor, but we knew we could just get the puck out as hard as we can,” De Smet coach Anthony Cappelletti said of Stutzer’s penalty. “And with defensive mentality a lot of our players have, not just our defenseman, we knew we had a great penalty kill. And then when you have a guy like Alex Rivolta making those saves, that's your best penalty killer out there.”

Jackson Fox and Patrick Dowling also scored for De Smet (21-1-6 overall, 5-0-2 postseason).

Rivolta made 22 saves to earn his first shutout of the postseason and sixth overall.

“Just keeping in my mind that I'm not letting in a goal and just kind of trying to stay focused,” Rivolta said.

It is De Smet’s second successive Challenge Cup championship and 16th overall.

This was the fourth meeting this season between the Spartan and Mustangs. All three previous games ended in a tie.

“Obviously this is a do or die, our adjustments paid off tonight,” Cappelletti said. “We knew some things they were going to do and we came out hard. We executed a little bit more and then Rivolta made a couple of big saves.”

Cooper Freeman made 14 saves for Marquette (17-4-6, 4-1-2).

“I think they pretty much dominated us most of the game,” Marquette coach Gary Tockman said. “They forechecked better than we did, they pursued the puck better than we did. They worked pretty darn hard.”

Fox gave De Smet a 1-0 lead at 7:06 of the first period, burying a one-timer from the right circle off a Dillen Grupe feed from behind the net.

“Grupe went around the net and I found some open ice,” Fox said. “He gave me a great pass and I just ripped it top corner.”

Freeman made sure De Smet didn’t add to its lead with several big stops in the first. The freshman netminder made a brilliant pad save on a Braden Tillitt chance early in the frame and he somehow kept the puck out of the net during a late Spartans flurry.

Rivolta protected the Spartans' lead with a big save on a Thomas Vodnansky tip early in the second period.

Dowling made it 2-0 De Smet at 10:50 of the second, going top shelf off a perfect feed from Stutzer on an odd-man rush.

“I knew how much time I had,” Stutzer said. “I knew Patrick was coming all the way up the ice, so I just gave it to him and he did what he did.”

Mr. Clutch

Fox was named the game’s MVP. The sophomore forward had three goals and three assists in seven postseason games.

“It feels great,” Fox said. “I wouldn't be able to win this thing without my teammates. They helped me, the seniors, they really helped us like all year, and just everyone came together as a family.”

Star-studded affair

Mid States will wrap up its season with its annual senior all-star game Sunday at the Maryville University Hockey Center.

The North Conference game starts at 4:10 p.m. and the South Conference game starts at 5:40 p.m. Tickets are $5 and will be sold on site the day of the event.