Flathead Fusion girls hockey team wins Bozeman tourney

The 14U Flathead Lady Fusion hockey team competed at the annual Bozeman Cup 19U/14U Hockey tournament last weekend.

Teams traveled to Bozeman from areas in Montana, Idaho, Washington, Utah and Wyoming. The Lady Fusion finished with a 3-1-0 record. The team worked hard to earn a dramatic come-from-behind 4-3 overtime victory in the final to win the tournament. With many visits to the championship game over the years against skilled teams, this is the first Bozeman Cup tourney win for the 14U girls in the team’s eight years of attending.

The team played a feisty Sun Valley on Friday and won 3-1 to start the tournament. Early Saturday morning was a tough match-up against a strong and organized Jackson team who dominated much of the game and won 4-0. Later that day the Fusion played league rival Bozeman and had a 9-0 win setting them up for the championship game and a rematch with the Jackson, Wyoming team.

The final started much like the first game between the teams, with Jackson scoring two quick goals and taking the early lead. Heading into the second period the Fusion girls turned it up a notch and got on the boards to make it 1-2 midway through the period, but Jackson answered with a scrappy goal to end the period 1-3. The third period showed strong battles all over the ice with the Fusion girls able to get the game tied up with a Tilly Daniels’ goal before the final buzzer sending them into overtime. The overtime period features three-on-three for five minutes followed by a shootout if neither team scores. With heavy offensive pressure from both teams and strong goalkeeping, Fusion’s Grace Wentzel was able to find the back of the net from a Tara Herne pass with 1:45 left in overtime for the tournament win. Goalie Chelsey Hart had an outstanding game and made a couple of key breakaway saves.