By Bob Burrows – January 31, 2014

Sara Iacobello’s goal at the final horn snapped a 2-2 tie and lifted the Hudson Raider girls’ hockey team a 3-2 victory over the St. Croix Valley Fusion Thursday night at Gornick Arena to give the Raiders their first-ever Big Rivers Conference title.

Iacobello’s goal capped a three-goal comeback for Hudson, who trailed 2-0 late in the second period.

The win gives the Raiders a BRC record of 4-0-0 (11-5-2 overall) with two conference games remaining. Defending conference champion St. Croix Valley (Rive Falls/Baldwin-Woodville/St. Croix Central/Glenwood City/Boyceville) slipped to 3-2 (13-7-1 overall) with both losses coming at the hands of Hudson.

Since the BRC began sponsoring girls hockey at the start of the 2007-08 season, St. Croix Valley has won the conference title five of the six years with Eau Claire winning in 2011-12.

Iacobello’s game-winning goal set off a wild celebration on the ice at Gornick Arena as the Raiders celebrated their first BRC title.

With time winding down and the score tied, 2-2, Paige Johnson carried the puck over the blue line and slid it across to Iacobello, whose one-timer was stopped by Fusion goalie Carlie Christensen. But Iacobello was able to reach out and poke the rebound up and over a sprawling Christensen and the puck tumbled across the goal line just as the final horn sounded.

St. Croix Valley led 2-0 before Ali Takkunen scored a power play goal for the Raiders with 1 minute, 32 seconds remaining in the second period to cut the lead in half.

Maddie Musura tied it up, 2-2, at 4:24 of the third period and the game looked like it was headed to overtime before Iacobello gave the Raiders the win at the buzzer.

See the Feb. 6 print edition of the Hudson Star-Observer for more on the game.