Burrell falls in USA Hockey national championship game

By: Doug Gulasy
Monday, April 1, 2019 | 1:02 PM

Burrell’s run at a high school hockey national championship ended one win short.

Penalties and special teams cost the Bucs on Monday as they lost 7-1 to Boulder/Monarch (Colo.) in the championship game of the USA Hockey High School Division II National Championship in Cleveland, Ohio.

Burrell, the PIHL Division II runner-up, won its first five games of the national tournament, including a 6-4 victory over Boulder/Monarch during pool play Thursday. But the Bucs never got on track Monday, and a four-goal spurt by Boulder in the second period ultimately proved the difference.

Giovanni Palombo’s power-play goal in the second period tied the score for Burrell, but Boulder answered with four goals in a span of under four minutes — two on the power play and two while shorthanded — to take a commanding lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

Jordan Finney scored the go-ahead goal with just under eight minutes remaining in the second period, and Zack Given scored back-to-back shorthanded goals for Boulder. A Fuller Loose power-play goal made it 5-1, and Boulder iced the game with two goals by Shin Steinbarth in the third period.

Three 10-minute misconducts were assessed against Burrell during the second period, and star forward Dylan Zelonka was ejected. The Bucs had 50 penalty minutes in the game.

Burrell was seeking to become the first Western Pennsylvania team to win a national title since Bethel Park in 2014.

Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review Staff Writer. You can contact Doug at 412-388-5830, dgulasy@tribweb.com or via Twitter .

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