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The Mid Fairfield Stars 14-and-under girls hockey team advanced to the championship game of the Tier I national tournament Saturday with a 5-4 victory in double overtime over the Buffalo Bison. The Stars will play Assabet Valley in Sunday's championship game in Rochester, Mich., at 11 a.m.
Catherine Crawley's goal with 5:42 left in overtime gave the Stars the victory. It was her second goal of the game. Tiana Cass had two goals for the Stars, and Katherine Savage had one. The Stars led 4-2 after Savage's goal with 2:37 left in the game, but Buffalo scored twice in the final 73 seconds to force overtime. Norwalk's Nicole Lue, Fairfield's Taegan Blackwell (two) and Darien's Sasha Fritts had assists. Goalkeeper Emma Farrel stopped 31 shots.
The Stars had advanced to the semis earlier in the day with a 5-3 win over the New Jersey Colonials. Crawley netted two goals, while Savage, Ashley Carbone and Katelyn Pantera also scored. Fritts assisted on Carbone's goal.
Mid Fairfield (47-6) lost to Assabet Valley, 3-2, in a shootout, earlier in the tournament, which was the Stars' only loss in five games. Fans can follow Sunday's game on a live webcast on the USA Hockey website.
The Stars' 12-and-under team lost to the Chicago Young Americans, 3-2, in Saturday's quarterfinals. The team finishes with a record of 21-12. Goals by Darien's Gillis Frechette and Westport's Katharine Paliotta staked the Stars to a 2-0 lead in the first period. Chicago rallied with two in the second and scored the game-winner with 9:54 left in the third. Goalie Courtney DeNaut of Greenwich kept the Stars in the game with 32 saves.
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