PIRATES BOYS HOCKEY ENDS 125 MINUTE SCORELESS DROUGHT BUT FALL TO FARGO NORTH 4-2

The Crookston Pirates Boys Hockey team scored its first goals since a game on December 7, a stretch of more than seven periods of hockey, but it wasn’t enough as they lost 4-2 to Fargo North in the first game of the Ralph Engelstad Classic in Thief River Falls.

The Crookston Pirates opened Friday’s game on a torrid pace getting the first six shots of the game.  But a turnover crossing the blue line on the powerplay would lead to Fargo North taking a 1-0 lead with 13:09 to play in the period.  Quinn Westlake and Noah Kiel collided just after crossing the blue line creating a loose puck that was picked up by the Spartans Tyler Thrash who fed Nathan Fritel streaking up ice for a breakaway.  “They ran a little bit of a different penalty carry then we are used to, so that was a little adjustment there,” said Pirate Coach Josh Hardy.  “But its something we harp on all year – hockey awareness.  We had a guy standing behind our player for five or six seconds and made a bad situation worse by stepping up allowing them to go for a breakaway.  We had momentum there, I thought we were really going and then it’s easy to fall into that here we go again mentality.” Fritel fired a wrist shot five-hole past Pirate goaltender Jaren Bailey for a goal on the first Fargo North shot of the game.  Fargo North used the goal to take momentum for a few moments but the Pirates would continue to press their attack before a defensive play sparked the offense for the Pirates.  Joey Doda blocked a shot at the blue line and carried the puck up the left side of the ice before sliding a late pass to the Alex Longoria at the top of the crease who lifted it into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1 with 4:25 to play.  “Joey made a great defensive play and then had the patience in the offensive zone to make the pass there and Alex was able to bury it into the pack of the net there,” said Hardy.  “Now we’re feeling good.  We’re 1-1, we’re in the game.  I felt like we had a really solid first period and go into the second hopefully continuing to roll but that wasn’t quite the case tonight.” The goal was the Pirates first in goal in 125 minutes, 27 seconds of hockey or more than seven periods of play.  Fargo North would finish the period with the final four shots on goal but the Pirates outshot the Spartans 14-8 in the frame. 

The second period got off to a slow start both figuratively and literally as 1:14 into the period play was stopped because the ice hadn’t dried from the Zamboni between periods.  “We played the first minute and a half there an I was praying for a whistle because somebody was going to score a goal that wasn’t fair to either team because of the ice conditions,” said Hardy.  “But we didn’t come out of it with the momentum that we needed too and they were able to take advantage of us in pretty much every aspect of the game in that period.” Play would not resume for more than five minutes and even once it did, both teams continued to struggle to move the puck and skate on the soft ice.  The place of play picked up midway through the period as the ice firmed up but that would only be to the advantage of Fargo North.  The Spartans would reclaim the lead on the powerplay when Caleb Fritel picked up the puck on the left wall and walked into the slot ripping a wrist shot five-hole for a 2-1 lead with 7:27 to play in the period.  The goal came after a series of events in which Bailey lost his stick and blocker and had just reclaimed them and was getting back into position when Fritel took his shot.  “A guy came through the slot and knocked off Jaren’s blocker and stick,” said Hardy.  “He was picking that up and we had a guy come off the wall that we let go and didn’t stay with.  We just let him go and he fired at the net and Jaren wasn’t ready as he’d just gotten his stick back in his hand and blocker on. Those are backbreakers because you feel like you’re in a game and just get a bad bounce.” The Spartans would extend their lead when Caleb Fritel fired a high shot off Bailey, the rebound fell into a mass of legs in front and when Bailey attempted to cover the puck it bounced past him and Michael Hallquist was able to tap it into the net for a 3-2 lead with 3:22 left in the second.  “Something we talk about quite a bit with the guys is how a play 30 seconds beforehand sets the tone for a goal coming the other way,” said Hardy.  “We carried the puck up, weren’t able to get it into the zone.  We turned it over just past the red line when we had a clear opportunity to dump.  We’re tired, if we’d gotten that puck in we’d have been able to get a change.  They come into our zone and shot. There was kind of weird bounce and they buried it.  Now we’re down 3-1 and as a whole pretty frustrated with ourselves.”  The Pirates went on the powerplay late in the frame but were unable to score as the penalty would carry over to the third.  Fargo North outshot Crookston 13-9 in the period. 

The Pirates were able to cut the Fargo North lead in half midway through the third period on a high-effort play by Jack Doda.  Doda whiffed on a shot in the left circle, reclaimed the puck and tried a back-hander that was blocked.  He then picked up the puck and carried it around the goal with a Spartan on his back to the right post before stuffing it under the goaltender’s pad to pull the Pirates within one at 3-2 with 8:21 to play.  “Jack made a great play behind the night and just kept going,” said Hardy.  “That’s what we talk about – you have to be hungry around the net.  For Jack to score that goal we talk about plays prior too that make that happen and Ty Hamre was able to hold the puck in on the other side there maybe 10 to 15 seconds before that.  A play like that is what makes that goal happen.  It might not get on the scoresheet all the time, but those are the little things that help you win games.” The Pirates built off their momentum and pushed forward on several occasions, using a lot of four forwards and one defenseman to try to get the equalizer.  That would create a couple of odd-man rushes for the Spartans and they were finally able to make one pay-off with 1:41 to play when Caleb Fritel carried down the right side on a two-on-one and fed a cross-ice pass to Brendan Richards who beat Bailey top shelf for a 4-2 lead.  “I thought we had lots of good scoring chances,” said Hardy.  “We pressed there for a while.  Leyton Salentine and Jack came down and went glove side and the guy made a couple of nice saves.  Ben Andringa had a good opportunity in front and just couldn’t bury it.  We were playing four forwards and a defenseman there at times trying to take some chances.  They came down and scored and at that time we’re not really trying to protect the loss.  We’re going to try to go all out to tie it up and if they take advantage of us the other way, so be it.  I have a pretty frustrated and disappointed locker room down there and rightfully so.  I think that they feel like they let one slip away tonight and I think they did.  It’s a tough lesson to learn.  We’ve been in these games thus far where competition-wise we’re playing teams that are better than us.  Tonight we played a team I thought was very similar to us and we didn’t put the pedal to the metal and finish it.  It’s a lesson learned and the nice thing is we get to come back tomorrow and try it again.” The Pirates would pull Bailey for the final 80 seconds but were unable to draw any closer.  Crookston outshot Fargo North 9-7 in the third. 

Fargo North improves to 5-3.  The Pirates fall to 0-9 and will play Eveleth-Gilbert Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in game two of the Ralph Engelstad Holiday Classic.  The game has been moved up an hour due to the threat of a winter storm in Northwest Minnesota Saturday. 

1st Period
13:09 – Fargo North – Nathan Fritel (Tyler Trash) SH
4:25 – Crookston – Alex Longoria (2) (Joey Doda)

2nd Period
7:27 – Fargo North – Caleb Fritel (unassisted) PP
3:22 – Fargo North – Michael Hallquist (Caleb Fritel) 

3rd Period
8:21 – Crookston – Jack Doda (5) (Ben Andringa, Noah Kiel)
1:41 – Fargo North – Brendan Richards (Caleb Fritel, Michael Hallquist)