Mar. 8—MITCHELL — The top team in South Dakota high school girls hockey capped its season with a dominant run at the state tournament in Mitchell.
The Sioux Falls Flyers didn’t allow a goal across three tournament games, finishing off their season by shutting out Brookings 5-0 in the state championship game on Saturday night at the Mitchell Activities Center.
Sioux Falls scored 21 total goals in the tournament, also sailing past Sioux Center 9-0 in the quarterfinals and Watertown 7-0 in the semifinals. The Flyers finished the season with a 23-1 record while outscoring opponents 158-23.
Brookings (20-4) beat Rushmore 2-0 in the quarterfinals and crushed Oahe 7-1 in the semifinals before running into the Flyers. Of Brookings’ four losses this season, three came to Sioux Falls, though the Rangers were also the only team to beat the Flyers during the regular season.
Ragyn Peska scored 26 seconds into the championship contest to send Sioux Falls on its way to the title, and Isabella Rigolizzo added another first-period goal for the Flyers. Peska found the net again in the second period, as did Lucy Nelson. Raegan Pfeifer polished off the effort with the final goal in the third period.
Moriah Lincoln recorded 20 saves and earned the win in net for the Flyers, who racked up 36 shots on goal to the Rangers’ 20. Rorii Quam made 31 saves for the Rangers.
For Sioux Falls, Peska and Emma Honner had seven total points apiece for the tournament, both scoring three goals with four assists. Aniston Murray was the top goal-scorer for the tournament with four, as she and Brianna Marvici both had six total points in the tournament.