STATE CONSOLATION CHAMPIONS — Members of the Fairmont 15U girls hockey program winning the Minnesota 15U ‘B’ state consolation championship during the weekend tournament in Blaine include, front row (left to right): Kennedy Murphy, Kynlee Beemer, Lauren Bettin, Lexi Haycraft, Lexi Sundeen, Harper Artz, Maya Earhart and Avery Kurt. Middle row: Joslyn Meyer, Mariel Parish, Carly Gustafson and Halyn Haycraft. Back row: Coach Ryan Parish, coach Aaron Haycraft and coach Josh Meyer. (Photo courtesy of Keri Murphy/Fairmont Hockey Association)

FAIRMONT — Fairmont posted its 30th victory of the 2023-24 season by netting the Minnesota 15U girls hockey ‘B’ state consolation championship on Sunday in Blaine.

After losing a 4-1 state quarterfinal to eventual state championship Grand Rapids/Greenway at Fogarty Arena on Friday, Fairmont reeled off back-to-back shutouts over North Shore and Owatonna, respectively, to return to Martin County Arena with hefty hardware two nights later.

Lauren Bettin staked Fairmont to an early 1-0 lead during Sunday’s state consolation finals against Owatonna by drilling an ice-hugging slider into the webbing with 6:11 remaining in the opening period.

Kennedy Murphy triggered the goal-scoring opportunity by finding Carly Gustafson with a neutral-ice pass before Gustafson made a quick-pivot lead pass to Bettin. Ironically, Bettin’s lamp-lighting shot proved a short-handed goal with only 11 seconds remaining in Owatonna’s power play.

Fairmont netminder Lexi Sundeen then displayed her mettle by making 12 of her 15 saves during a shorthanded second period to maintain her shutout.

Bettin then gave Fairmont breathing room during the third period by netting her second goal of the consolation finale off the first of Lexi Haycraft’s two assists at the 12:17 juncture.

Kynlee Beemer then added a key insurance goal off another Lexi Haycraft helper with 4:38 remaining in regulation to clinch Fairmont’s 3-0 triumph over Owatonna on Sunday.

Fairmont earned a 28-15 shots-on-goal advantage over Owatonna.

Bettin and Lexi Haycraft equally combined for four goals and two assists, while Sundeen stonewalled the North Shore Storm to power Fairmont’s 6-0 consolation semifinal victory on Saturday.

Lexi Haycraft generated both of her goals to build an early 2-0 first-period lead for Fairmont.

Haycraft found the back of the net off an assist from Avery Kurt with 8:49 remaining in the opening frame. Haycraft then cashed in a Bettin pass for a twine-finding blast on the power-play at the 4:38 juncture.

Joslyn Meyer reached the scoring column to account for the consolation semifinal’s only goal of the middle segment to extend Fairmont’s margin to 3-0. Meyer connected for a goal off a helper from Mariel Parish at the 6:04 mark.

Bettin then produced both of her goals during the three-score third period to put the winning outcome out of North Shore’s reach.

Bettin cashed in a Gustafson pass for a lamp-lighter at the 9:29 mark before Parish found the seams in the North Shore defensive line for an unassisted goal at the 8:07 juncture.

Bettin connected for Fairmont’s sixth goal off an assist from Lexi Haycraft with 5:56 remaining in regulation to cap the 6-0 win. Sundeen recorded a game-leading 12 stops for Fairmont, which unleashed 20 shots on goal.

Lilyan DeBay tallied two goals and goalie Emily Cherne tallied 14 stops to steer Grand Rapids/Greenway to a 4-1 state quarterfinal win over Fairmont on Friday.

Trailing 2-1 on the heels of goals by Sophia Casper and Claire Larson, Harper Artz spoiled Cherne’s shutout bid by finding the webbing off an assist from Halyn Haycraft with 3:30 remaining in the first.

Lexi Sundeen recorded 16 saves between the pipes for Fairmont, which ended the season with a 30-6-1 overall record.