FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS • The legend of Dusty Watt has now gone to the next level.
The Collinsville senior hockey standout came into Thursday's game against Columbia with 74 goals this season and 216 in his high school hockey career, but Nos. 75-77 and 217-219, respectively, may end up being the most memorable.
Watt notched a hat trick -- including a pair of goals with his team playing two men short -- to lift the Kahoks to the victory over the Eagles in the decisive Game 3 of the Mississippi Valley Club Hockey Association Class 1A East Division finals Thursday at U.S. Ice Sports Complex.
"It's unexplainable," Watt said. "It's great to finally get it. It's so worth it."
Collinsville moves on to the championship round for the first time in coach Matt Bednara's nine years with the team. Game 1 of that series against Alton Marquette is set for 7:15 p.m. Monday at East Alton Ice Arena.
"It was a good game," said Bednara, who watched from the stands due to an automatic suspension because the Kahoks were called for 15 penalties in Game 2. "We were short-handed since I wasn't on the bench. It's tough to watch when you're losing, but when you're winning it's a lot easier."
In the process, Collinsville exacted some payback from a Columbia team that had ousted it each of the last three postseasons and had gone 6-0 against the Kahoks in those playoff games.
"We've lost to them many times in the final round (of the division playoffs), so it is sweet victory," Bednara said.
After a scoreless first period, the offense started cranking in the second period.
Watt opened the scoring 3 minutes, 17 seconds into the period when he picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, skated in and beat goaltender Kevin Shreckenberg with a backhand for a 1-0 lead.
The Kahoks then took a pair of minor penalties just 17 seconds apart to give the Eagles a lengthy two-man advantage, but it was Watt who cashed in.
The speedster was pulled down on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot at the 6:36 mark. He skated in on Schreckenberg, deked to his backhand and quickly brought it back to forehand to stuff it past the fallen goalie's left skate and make it 2-0.
"That was definitely huge for us," Watt said. "It took the air out of their power play."
Just 18 seconds later, Watt intercepted a pass at center ice, raced in and executed nearly the same move to complete the natural hat trick and give his team a 3-0 lead.
"I was waiting for the pass and I just picked it off," said Watt, whose 77th goal of the season gives him 34 more than his nearest competitor, Matt Royer of Columbia. "From there, it was a clear shot."
Columbia got one of those goals back on a power-play blast from the left point by Kyle Steibel with 3:59 left in the second period, but Collinsville goalie Kyle Bray was unbeatable most of the night, stopping 30 of 31 shots.
"We practiced before the game, and I always feel good if we practice before a game," Bray said. "It was a team effort. We just outplayed them."
Collinsville clinched the win with a pair of goals in the final 1:11 of the game from Austin McEwen and Keith Henderson.
