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Campbell's early goal lifts Kirkwood past Vianney, into Challenge Cup semifinals

By By Joe Harris | Special to STLhighschoolsports.com, 02/11/19, 9:30PM CST

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BALLWIN • Kirkwood forward Seamus Campbell didn’t overthink it.

Campbell scored on a breakaway 7 minutes, 40 seconds into the game and Mitchell Day made it stand with 41 saves as Kirkwood beat Vianney 1-0 to eliminate the Griffins in a Mid-States Club Hockey Challenge Cup quarterfinal series at Queeny Park Recreational Complex on Monday night.

“Always go for the breakaway, same shot every time, just upper right,” Campbell said. “My dad made me do that like 1,000 times in the basement.”

Kirkwood (15-8-3) advanced to its first semifinal since 1992. A 1-1 tie in the first game set up a winner-take-all second game against Vianney.

“It feels good,” Kirkwood coach Mark Fischer said. “There was a lot of hard work. Whether it was a 6 a.m. workout or a video session, our kids paid the price the entire year and they deserved to be in that moment, and they deserved to win the game.”

Nicholas Niemeier made 22 saves for Vianney (13-9-3).

“It was a great effort,” Vianney coach Brian McGlynn said. “Both teams played an excellent hockey game and it came down to a goal.”

A Franky Landers pass started the break for Campbell, who didn’t hesitate on the shot.

Both goalies shined in a scoreless second period as the teams combined for 27 shots.

Day made several saves during a Vianney power play early in the second to keep the Pioneers on top.

“He really does know how to mentally get locked in, he fazes all of the antics out and he focuses on his next save,” Fischer said. “He doesn’t harp on what has happened in the past and he’s really good at not looking too far in the future. He’s always in the moment.”

Niemeier kept Vianney within one with two dazzling saves on a pair of Kirkwood odd-man rushes, using his stick to stop a Trevor Buchanan shot and his pads to stone an Andrew Kruszka chance.

Day stood tall as Vianney ramped up its offense out of desperation. The Griffins peppered Day with 19 shots in the third period, including four in rapid-fire succession during a mad scramble with less than 90 seconds left.

“As the period went on it just got tougher and tough and as a goalie you’ve got to compete with that,” Day said.

Day stopped one last Vianney push as time expired, setting off a wild celebration in the Kirkwood student section.

“It’s an indescribable felling,” Campbell said. “We have kids breaking down in tears in the locker room, seniors that have dreamed about this day.”

Kirkwood will face either St. Louis U. High or Priory in a semifinal.

“Just keep building,” Fischer said. “Yeah, we won tonight, but it’s control, alt, delete, onto the next one.”

Before the game, a moment of silence was held in honor of Bob McElroy, who passed away Monday morning at the age of 89.

McElroy started the Kirkwood hockey program in 1972 and served on the Mid-States board from 1974-1984. He also helped start eight other high school hockey programs, including defending state champion St. Louis U. High.

McElroy was inducted into the St. Louis Amateur Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.