Broncos squeeze by Wolves

Prairie Ridge's Christian Blatner heads up ice during Sunday's playoff game against Barrington at the Edge Ice Arena. (Jeff Krage - For the Northwest Herald)

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BENSENVILLE – No one could argue about which team had momentum on its side, or which one controlled play.

From the second period on, it clearly was Prairie Ridge, which ultimately outshot Barrington by a 2-to-1 ratio for the game. Which also ultimately, did not matter.

Broncos center Chris Towne picked up a loose puck near mid-ice and rushed in from the left side with a teammate to his right and only Prairie Ridge goalie to beat. Towne flipped the puck over Martin’s right shoulder and into the net to give Barrington a 2-1 sudden-death overtime victory Sunday in an AHAI Blackhawk Cup Red Division State Tournament game at The Edge in Bensenville.

“That’s a tough way to go,” Wolves coach Rick Rewiako said. “Especially when we outplayed them the way we did. I’m disappointed, but I’m not upset. We were the better team, they just capitalized on our mistake.”

Prairie Ridge outshot the Broncos, 52-25, but goalie Ryan Evans made 51 saves to help his team reach the quarterfinals. Barrington (35-8-4) will play either No. 1 Fenwick or No. 16 Hinsdale Central on Saturday in the Blackhawk Red tournament. The Broncos also will play St. Rita in the Metro Scholastic Cup playoffs championship next week.

The Wolves pulled Martin in the final minute of regulation and finally got a puck past Evans. Center Chris Van Damme dug the puck out behind the net and right wing Christian Blatner’s goal tied the score, 1-1, with 42 seconds remaining.

“We knew we’d have to get a dirty goal, that it wasn’t going to be a pretty goal,” Blatner said. “Chris got it to me and I just stuffed it in. Everyone was really pumped up and excited for overtime.”

The Wolves outshot Barrington, 25-6, in the third period.

“The whole third period we took control of the game,” Van Damme said. “We just couldn’t put one in [until the end]. We had all the momentum, everything was going our way. Just that one little thing.”

Towne, who scored Barrington’s first-period goal, scooped up the puck near center ice and Wolves defenseman Ryan Kenney turned to hustle back, but tripped momentarily. Towne had just enough time to get past Kenney for a 2-on-0 break.

“They played a great game, but we weren’t going to let it get us down,” Towne said. “We were still optimistic. My teammates put good pressure on them and forced a turnover.”

Towne said Martin could not fully commit with another Bronco approaching the net, which left him just enough room over Martin’s right shoulder. Towne skated to the back board behind the net and, within seconds, was mobbed by his teammates.

“It’s no surprise for our kids to be a little down,” Barrington coach Rob Hutson said. “They’ve been tested with every mental element there is this season. They’re great kids and they just go about it like it’s business. Now, we still have a chance to play four more games.”

Martin had 25 saves for the Wolves, who finished their season 27-21-5.

“We came out a little slow in the first, but in the second and third, we had control,” Rewiako said. “We had all the momentum there. Getting 52 shots, you expect to score two or three. It’s a tough loss for us.”