UTICA – The Haudenosaunee Nationals defeated Germany 7-2 in a defensive grind of the quarterfinals played at the Utica University Nexus Center. Goalie Chelsea Gibson backstopped another stingy defensive performance with 26 saves through three quarters. Chelsea Doolittle finished with 12 saves to close out the fourth quarter. The Haudenosaunee offense was led by Trysten Burns with two goals and an assist and Mekwan Tulpin with two goals. The Nationals also got one goal each from Fawn Porter, Mackenzie Shigwadja, and Carey-Leigh Vyse along with an assist each from Ferrah Blackbird, Timmia Bomberry, Joni Squire-Hill, and Tallis Tarbell.

The first quarter was a defensive battle and a bit of an offensive struggle as there were no goals scored the entire quarter. The Haudenosaunee played hard but looked a little off balance early, having trouble with possessions and finding the back of the net. The defense stayed solid and stingy as they killed two penalties in the quarter, helped by Chelsea Gibson’s 7 saves. Kenley Jacobs had the greatest scoring threat as she hit the pipe on the breakaway with about four minutes remaining.

The Haudenosaunee offense broke through one minute into the second quarter as Trysten Burns swung the ball left to right to Mackenzie Shigwadja for the step down shot from the wing and the 1-0 lead. Six minutes later, Fawn Porter created a turnover in the defensive zone and went to the net to eventually collect her own rebound and put the ball away for her lone goal of the day. Both defenses continued to stay strong highlighted by a big save near the goal line by Gibson with just over two minutes to play. Haudenosaunee then got two goals in the final 30-seconds as Trysten Burns came flying off the bench to finish top right corner on a pass from Ferrah Blackbird with 25-seconds left to play. Germany won the draw and took a timeout to set up a play only to turn the ball over. Tallis Tarbell pushed the ball ahead to Mekwan Tulpin who buried the breakaway goal with 3-seconds left and the Haudenosaunee headed to halftime with the 4-0 lead.

Trysten Burns scored her second of the night at 10:36 of the third as she picked up the loose ball and strolled into a step down from the left side for the 5-0 lead. Haudenosaunee penalties for cross checking at 6:26 and unsportsmanlike conduct at 4:50 gave Germany the 5-on-3 advantage but Gibson had a couple of big saves to help kill the penalties. The game stayed 5-0 headed to the fourth.

Germany scored their first of the game as Tabi Hartsieker found Sinem Ünlü in transition for the goal in traffic at 11:04 of the fourth. Mekwan Tulpin responded with her second of the night with the step down from the left side off the pass and screen from Joni Squire-Hill to make it 6-1 with 9:51 to play. The defensive battle continued as the end of the game got a bit hectic. Simultaneous slashing penalties on Kenley Jacobs and Joni Squire-Hill put Haudenosaunee down two women. A third penalty on Bineh Garrow for slashing at 2:45 gave Germany a penalty shot, as you cannot have more than two people in the penalty box at the same time. Haudenosaunee goalie Chelsea Doolittle, who had entered at the start of the fourth quarter, stoned Germany’s Tessa Helf to preserve the 6-1 lead. Carey-Leigh Vyse followed up as her initial jump shot was blocked but rebounded by Timmia Bomberry, who passed it back to Vyse for the shorthanded goal in front of the net at 2:09. Doolittle had another big kick save, but Germany eventually broke through on a goal by Marlene Steyer with 1:36 left in the game. A few more penalties were called near the end of the game but Haudenosaunee hung on for the 7-2 victory.

Up Next: Haudenosaunee faces Canada in the semifinals at 8:15 p.m. EST at the Utica University Nexus Center. We’ll have all of your postgame coverage!

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