Crookston Pirate Girls Hockey wins OT thriller over Bismarck Legacy

The Crookston Pirate Girls Hockey team’s Jensen Stinar scored an overtime goal to give her team a 3-2 victory in a thriller over North Dakota defending state champion Bismarck Legacy in a game played at the Crookston Sports Center on Saturday afternoon.

FIRST PERIOD
Bismarck Legacy dominated the first two minutes of the period as they had the puck in the Pirate zone for about two and a half minutes of the game with two shots on goal. Legacy committed a penalty and all of a sudden Crookston found some life while firing six shots on goal in the two minute span, double the shots they had in the entire game against Moorhead. Adley Vigness was the first Pirate to get a shot on goal as Rylee Otto made a tough save to keep the game scoreless. The Pirates continued to pepper the goal with five more shots with two of them almost going in but they couldn’t get one in the net.
Play opened up the rest of the period and was a little more 50/50. After a Legacy rush into the Pirate zone, Crookston answered as Emma LaPlante carried the puck across center ice, into the Legacy zone and held the puck off to her left and got around a defenseman and sniped one into the left side of the net for a 1-0 Crookston lead 6:26 into the game. It was the first time the Pirates had scored in the first period in five games this season.
Less than two minutes later, Legacy had a shot on goal and it flipped up in the air and it looked like it was going over the Pirate goalie, Madi Abrams, and luckily for the Pirates it bounced off to the side of the net and the score remained 1-0.
The teams each had a penalty with less than eight minutes remaining in the period giving the fans some fast-paced 4-on-4 hockey and a little bit later, Crookston had a 5-on-3 advantage, but wasn’t able to score.
Legacy had the puck in the Pirate zone and Reese Kautzman slid a pass to Madison Flemmer who was in front of the net and she shelfed a shot into the upper-right corner of the net to tie the game at 1-1 with 65 seconds left in the period.

SECOND PERIOD
Less than three minutes into the period, Crookston’s Emma LaPlante had a break away, but her shot was stopped by Otto to keep the game tied 1-1. A little over five minutes into the period, Crookston’s Adley Vigness got a pass to LaPlante who took skated into the slot and lest a wrist shot go and it zipped past the Legacy goalie into the net to give Crookston a 2-1 lead on LaPlante’s second goal of the game.
Legacy tried to respond a minute later and had two shots blocked. After an Abrams save, Crookston’s Logan Brekken blocked another shot and the Pirate held on to the 2-1 lead seven minutes into the period.
Crookston’s Adley Vigness skated the puck up along the board across center ice and flew by Legacy defenders and rifled a shot on goal, but Otto made the save.
Crookston’s LaPlante had another chance to score as she was alone in front, but Legacy’s Otto made another big-time save. Crookston was called for to many men on the ice, giving Legacy a power play. In the first 20 seconds, Legacy had a shot rebound in front of the net, with the enitire left side of the net open, but nobody got a stick on the puck. A few seconds later, they had a shot go through the crease, in the air, and it missed the net. Legacy had a shot on goal with five seconds left in the power play, but Abrams made the save to keep the Pirate lead at 2-1.
Legacy’s Claire Oswald made a beautiful move by a Pirate defenseman and fired a shot on goal, but Abrams made another big-time save to keep the Pirate lead at 2-1. With 1:32 left in the Legacy penalty, Bismarck committed another penalty, giving Crookston a 5-on-3 advantage, but that lasted all of 11 seconds before Crookston was called for a penalty. Neither team had a good scoring chance the rest of the period and Crookston took a 2-1 lead.

THIRD PERIOD
Crookston started the third period strong as Vigness took the puck and skated into the zone and whistled a shot on goal, but Otto made the save. A little over three minutes into the period, there was a penalty on both teams for some 4-on-4 play. That only lasted a few seconds as Legacy was called for another penalty to give Crookston a 4-on-3 advantage for a little over a minute.
A few minutes later, Legacy had the puck in the Pirate zone and got it behind the net. Crookston stole the puck and tried to get it out of there, but the pass went in front of the net and Kylie Booke stopped the puck with her skate and slapped at the puck and it went in to tie the game at 2-2 just over six minutes into the period.
Crookston was called for a hooking penalty with 8:10 left in the game, giving Legacy a power play. Legacy had a perfect pass in front of the net and a shot on goal was stopped by Abrams. Legacy was putting pressure on the Pirate defense and couldn’t capitalize as Crookston was able to kill off the penalty.
Crookston’s Vigness has a shot with under five minutes left in the game and it went off the pipe and popped up in the air and almost went in, but Legacy was able to clear it away from the net as the exciting third period continued. Legacy was called for a slashing penalty with 4:03 left, giving Crookston a power play. In the first five seconds, Crookston had a shot on goal and Crookston put three more shots on goal, but Legacy’s Otto came up with save after save. Crookston’s Logan Brekken had a shot on goal and the rebound was loose to the side of the net, but none of the Pirates could get the puck and it was cleared away.
The final minutes of the period was fast and furious while neither team was able to score for a 2-2 tie at the end of regulations, forcing overtime.

OVERTIME
An eight minute overtime period was needed. Crookston got a shot on goal early on before Legacy came back and got a shot on goal, but Crookston’s Abrams made the save.
The play continued to go back and forth before Crookston brought the puck into the Legacy zone and the puck was loose in front of the net and the Pirate’s Jensen Stinar swooped in and slapped the puck into the net to get the game winning goal with 2:06 left in overtime. The goal was Stinar’s first of the season and the Pirates picked up their first win of the year and thrilling fashion.

Crookston improves to 1-4 on the year and will play Fort Frances on Friday at Thief River Falls.. Bismarck Legacy drops to 0-1 on the year.