One-goal games highlight hockey doubleheader

Most valuable players Sophie Zemianek of BFA-St. Albans and Evan Kurash of Woodstock secured their teams’ victories with game-winning goals during the return of the Rotary All Star Classic at Essex Skating Facility on Saturday.

The 36th senior classic wasn’t played in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zemianek’s Austin Conference girls squad beat Harris 1-0. On the boys side, Kurash’s Harris team won a 4-3 contest.

Details from Saturday’s games:

Girls game

Zemianek produced the winner in dramatic fashion. The defenseman broke the stalemate with 40 seconds left in regulation on an Austin power play.

In net for Austin, Kelsan Carter of Essex made 12 saves and Spaulding’s Mattie Cetin posted 21 stops. For the Harris goalies, Grace Ferguson of the Champlain Valley/Mount Mansfield cooperative team tallied seven stops and Burlington/Colchester’s Olivia Dallamura totaled 13 saves.

Bria Dill was named the team MVP for Harris.

More:BFA hockey holds off Spaulding to clinch perfect season; first D-I title since 2018

More:Woodstock skates away from Hartford for program’s first girls hockey championship

Boys game

Kurash’s two goals included the winner at 11:50 of the second period while Essex’s Justin Prim and Burr and Burton’s Matt Grabher had the other tallies for Harris. Milton’s Cooper Goodrich and BBA’s Karter Noyes and Emmett Edward had assists.

In the Harris net, Essex’s Max Foster made five saves, Teddy Munson of Milton stopped 13 shots and Keaton Piconi of Woodstock turned by seven shots.