The Crookston Blue Line Club has released the season’s first youth hockey report. Find out how the teams did over the past week and what is coming up in the report below.
SQUIRT
Well, the hockey season is underway, and this year the squirt level has one team, the Squirt B team. We have 8 second-year skaters, 1 second-year goalie, 6 first-year skaters, and 1 first-year goalie.
This past week we traveled to Bemidji and Walker. Both Goaltenders played half a game each. In Bemidji, we played a fun game having Camren Duncan, Hudson Rick, and Caden Perry each scoring a goal, and Grant Funk scored 4 goals. Although we lost 10-7, we had fun and played well.
In Walker, we started strong and ran out of gas as the game progressed. Both goaltenders saw plenty of shots and made a lot of great saves! The final score was 11-3 with Camren Duncan, Grant Funk, and Hudson Rick each scoring a goal.
This week’s player of the week is Lukas Helgeson. Lukas played at defense this last weekend, and played excellently! He looked like a natural defenseman out on the ice, made multiple neutral zone stops, pinched at the blue line, and kept the puck in the offensive zone. He also did a great job in the defensive zone. Congratulations Lukas! Keep up the hard work!
PEEWEE A
The PeeWee A team has been working extremely hard both on and off the ice and it showed this past weekend in their home tournament. Friday evening Crookston played Moorhead in a very close game going goal-for-goal until the end when Moorhead came out on top for a final score of 6-4. Saturday brought more of the same with both games going into a shootout. Unfortunately, Crookston fell first to eventual tournament champions New Prague, and then later fell to the third-place finishers, Proctor. Sunday morning Crookston just couldn’t find their rhythm and fell to a few talented players from Hutchinson 5-0. Overall, last weekend proved that as long as the boys keep working hard in practice, they’ll be able to skate and compete with anybody this season.
PEEWEE B
PeeWee B opened their season on Sunday when they hosted the Fargo Angels. Crookston dominated from the puck drop until the final horn. Our defense was stingy allowing only 4 shots on net. Crookston won 10-0 and take the ice again on Friday night when they travel to Bagley.
Our player of the week goes to Gavin Aakhus – Gavin lead a dominating offensive effort with 5 goals and 1 assist.
12U
The 12U girls traveled to Brainerd and Bemidji last weekend for their first games of the season. The first game on Saturday was played by the 12U “A” team against Brainerd’s 12UA team. It was our girls first game of the season, and Brainerd’s fourth. Our girls came out and played hard, all while learning to play with new lines and defensive partners. They held the score 0-0 after the first, but Brainerd put the pressure on scoring two in the second and another one in the third. The girls didn’t give up, but Brainerd’s second-year goalie stood strong and wouldn’t allow any of the 20 quality shots they threw at her in. The girls came up empty-handed in the 0-3 loss. Goalie Natalie Longoria, made a lot of nice saves (18 to be exact)!
Later Saturday afternoon, the entire 12U Crookston roster (all 19 girls) took on Brainerd’s 12UA team once again. We had a lot of fresh legs and more new lines for this game. Brainerd scored early in the first period, but Addie Fee answered with a much needed short-sided goal in between the goalie and the pipe! That got the girls excited! Brainerd battled back and scored another two. Towards the end of the first period, Addie got a nice pass from Maddie Harbott to go down and score once again! Brainerd continued the pressure, and our girls kept trying to find opportunities to score, but their goalie shut us out the rest of the game, beating us 5-2. Crookston’s Julia Buhler debuted her first game as a goalie, saving 14 shots!
Most of the families spent the night in Brainerd and had a lot of fun socializing while the girls played in the water park and many rounds of laser tag. The next day, the entire 12U team traveled to Bemidji for a 1:30 pm game. The two teams battled back and forth with no scoring in the first period. In the second period, Bemidji was only able to score one goal. Then early in the third period, Ashlyn Bailey created a turn-over and was able to get a breakaway and scored! Bemidji came back and scored two more before Addie Fee was able to turn loose puck within the Bemidji zone into another goal for the Pirates! Bemidji scored one last time before the end of the game, beating the Pirates 5-2. Goalies, Natalie Longoria and Julia Buhler shared time in the net, with Longoria saving 12 and Buhler 3.
Coming up this weekend: Saturday, the “B” team travels to Fargo (1:30 pm, Farmers Union Arena). Sunday the “A” team travels to East Grand Forks (12 pm, Civic Arena) for their first district game of the season.
Players of the Week-
12UB: Logan Brekken – Logan’s attentiveness and hard work in practice showed through on the ice last weekend. Her solid positional play gave her several great scoring chances and favorable turnovers.
12UA: Addie Fee – Addie is a hard-working, lead by example hockey player. She plays hard the whole 200’ and her productivity shows with three goals last weekend while traveling to Brainerd and Bemidji.
BANTAM
The Crookston Bantams opened up their season with a trio of games this past weekend. On Saturday, Crookston couldn’t overcome a slow defensive start and was defeated 8-2 against Morris-Benson Area. Scoring for Crookston – Carter Trudeau and Kadin Edwards. Assisting for Crookston, Trudeau. Jackson Dauksavage was in net for Crookston with 38 saves.
On Sunday, Crookston headed South for a doubleheader with Fergus Falls and Fargo. Crookston picked up their first win of the year against Fergus Falls in a close, hard-fought game 3-2. Scoring for Crookston – Lucas Miller, Koda Donarski, and Carter Trudeau. Assisting on goals were Dalen Korynta and Kadin Edwards. Jackson Dauksavage was strong in net for Crookston making 17 saves.
Sunday evening, Crookston had a fast start with 3 first period goals and never looked back defeating the Fargo Angels 4-2. Scoring for Crookston – Ashton Shockman, Brekken Tull, Lucas Miller, and Kadin Edwards. Assists went to Miller(2), Edwards, and Shockman. Dauksavage was strong in net again with a 36 save performance.
Player of the Week – Lucas Miller
Lucas will most likely be one of the smallest players on the ice all season long but he plays like one of the biggest. All weekend long he was buzzing up and down the ice getting to the dirty areas and playing the body. His gritty play awarded him with 2 goals and 2 assists on the weekend.
