The Owatonna High School girls hockey team ran their record to 4-0 with a 5-0 shutout of Mankato East/Loyola Saturday night at Four Seasons Centre in Owatonna. The Huskies have also been announced as the Cash Wise Foods Team of the Week. Cash Wise Foods and Pharmacy of Owatonna and Waseca will present a $50 gift card each week to a charity in the district of the winning team.

Asia Buryska earned her second shutout of the season while making 12 saves on Saturday. The senior was named All Conference last winter and has given up a stingy .75 goals per game this season with a fantastic .930 saves percentage. Her teammates have largely kept their opponents out of the Owatonna zone this season.

First-year head coach Tony Cloud said the team is executing well on defense, "They're doing really well in their transition game. We talk about making them have to dump the pucks in and we're good on our breakouts and transition with our defensive speed, trying to look up the ice and attacking right away."

Olivia Herzog had a goal and an assist Saturday, after scoring a hat trick in a victory at Mankato West earlier in the week. Herzog has five goals and a pair of assists this season according to the Hockey Hub website. Her sister Anna is credited with three goals and four assists.

Cloud says the two play well on the line together, "I talk to those two on a daily basis. They always want to play together and I have no problem putting them together especially when they can go on fire like they did that game, putting up five goals between the two of them (in the West game). They work really well together."

"We actually had the team out to their house last year and skated on their backyard pond. They're always out skating and working together. Nice to have those two paired up together."

Ezra Oien opened up the scoring Saturday against East with her team-leading seventh goal. Chloe Schmidt and Sarah Snitker assisted for a 1-0 lead at intermission. East/Loyola out shot the Huskies 6-5 in the first period but only managed six more shots on goal the rest of the way. The Huskies peppered East netminder Anna Rader with 36 shots over the final two frames.

Anna Herzog and Molly Achterkirch scored in the second period. Abby Vetsch and Olivia Herzog added markers in the third.

Oien is up for a weekly award through the Hockey Hub. Voting closes on Sunday, November 24.

Owatonna plays a big section game Saturday, November 30 against Dodge County at 7 pm at Four Seasons in Owatonna. The Wildcats frequently contend for a section crown and beat the Huskies in the playoff quarterfinals last winter.

 

More From KRFO-AM