EAST GRAND FORKS BEATS CROOKSTON BOYS HOCKEY

Grady Magner recorded a hat trick, and Landon Parker had six points (two goals, four assists) to lead the East Grand Forks Green Wave to an 11-2 win over the Crookston Pirates Boys Hockey team in a Section 8A game played in the Blue Arena at the Crookston Sports Center. 

The night got off to a shaky start when 11:59 into the JV game, the refs stopped play because of a hole in the ice of the Main Event Arena at the Crookston Sports Center. Both the JV game and the varsity game were moved to the Blue Arena. East Grand Forks won the JV game 7-1. 

1st Period
The varsity game also got off to a poor start for the Pirates, who found themselves down two goals just 65 seconds into the game. It took the Green Wave just 35 seconds to score the game’s first goal when Jaksen Panzer backhanded a rebound past the Pirates’ starting goaltender Jaren Bailey. The Green Wave would double their lead 30 seconds later when Brandon Anderson found Grady Magner in the right circle, and Magner whipped a wrist shot inside the far post. The Pirates would get a power play a short time later, but all the offense belonged to the Green Wave despite being on the penalty kill. The Green Wave outshot the Pirates 4-0 on the powerplay, including a shorthanded goal when Anderson sprung Caleb Schmiedeberg for a breakaway that he buried stick side for a 3-0 lead with 14:33 left in the period. Just over three minutes later, the lead jumped to 4-0 when Logan Spencer fired a shot from the blue line through traffic that found the back of the net. “I thought on Friday Warroad moved the puck really well,” said Pirates Coach Josh Hardy. “I texted their coach today that they were the best I’d seen all year, and really in the last couple of years at getting their defensemen activated and into the zone. Now I’ve got to text him later today that they’re number two. I thought East Grand Forks moved the puck so well. They had guys filling lanes. Tyler Palmiscno does such a good job coaching them, and they really came at us full force in the first period.” The score would go to 5-0 as the Green Wave won an offensive zone faceoff, and Landon Parker walked across the slot before throwing a slow-rolling pass back to the right post that Tanner Lubinksi flicked into the net with 8:59 to go. Grady Magner would get his second goal of the period with 5:16 to play when he redirected a Garrett Beauchamp shot from the blue line into the goal for a 6-0 lead forcing a goaltender change for the Pirates. “Nothing on Jaren. I thought he was okay,” said Hardy. “They had a bunch of tips and were getting sticks on pucks. That’s what good teams do. Skilled teams can turn nothing into something. We made a change, and sometimes it’s a mental thing for the players too – we made a goalie change, now we can get things going. Jaren is frustrated, but I thought he was okay, and Carter came in and played pretty well.” Landon Parker would get his fourth point of the period and the first goal with 3:09 to go in the first period when Panzer found him alone in the slot, and Parker ripped a wrist shot short side for a 7-0 lead. The Green Wave kept the Pirates hemmed in during the first period outshooting them 29-0. 

2nd Period
The Pirates showed some improvement during the second period, getting their first shots on goal of the game. However, the Green Wave continued to extend its lead. Anderson would score just 1:07 into the period when a centering pass was deflected out to the top of the left circle, and he fired toward the net. Pirates’ defenseman Jackson Demarais tried to stop the shot, but it hit the blade of his stick and popped over backup goaltender Carter Nelson’s shoulder for an 8-0 Green Wave lead. The Green Wave would get a two-on-one with 13:09 to go as Panzer carried down the left-wing and sent a pass to Lubinski in the right circle, who buried his second of the night for a 9-0 lead. The Pirates would get their first shot of the game with 12:02 to go in the period when Green Wave goaltender Collin Peterson turned aside a Jack Doda wrist shot. Lubinski would find Parker as he crossed the blue line, and Parker was allowed to skate unchecked down the right circle letting off a wrist shot to the glove side for a 10-0 lead with 9:22 to go in the period. The Pirates got stronger as the period progressed but were still outshot 19-2. “We quit watching and being amazed at what they were doing out there, and just started to play hockey,” said Hardy. “I thought that was a big difference. I thought our seniors did a really good job in the locker room between the first and second, and again between the second and third, about keeping guys up. And on the bench, they were doing the same thing, so I was really proud of our senior leadership in a tough spot tonight.” 

3rd Period
The Green Wave stayed true to their quick-strike offense to open each period with another early goal in the third. Magner would record the hat trick when Zach Stocker won a faceoff onto Magner’s blade, and Magner sidestepped traffic before popping a wrist shot five-hole for an 11-0 lead with 15:30 to play. The Pirates would get some later offense to avoid the shutout. First, on the power play, Noah Kiel found Alex Longoria in the left circle, and he blasted a slap shot stick side for his fifth goal of the season with 3:53 to play. “They were rolling four lines, and that let our first and second line get out there against their third and fourth,” said Hardy. “That’s not necessarily an advantage for us but more of an even matchup in a game like this. We actually moved Alex and Jack Doda to different sides today, and Alex was able to hammer one home there on the power play.” Doda would get his fifth goal of the season when Kaleb Thingelstad found him alone at the Green Wave blue line, and Doda skated down the right side of the slot, whistling a wrist shot glove side to make the score 11-2 with 45 seconds to play.  “Jack scores a beauty of a goal on a great play from Kaleb Thingelstad,” said Hardy. “For us to get two goals, it takes the sting away a little bit. But, obviously, this was not a fun game. It’s never losing, and we talked about in between the second and third period that I’d do anything to trade spots with you for you not to have to be in a game where you’re losing 10-0. We might not be the most talented team, but I love every kid in that locker room. It’s not about what they can do on the ice. They are all great kids, and I want to see them succeed and not get beaten up here 10-0. It’s a tough game in that aspect, but I was really proud of the way we finished.” The Pirates were outshot 19-5 in the third period. 

The Pirates fall to 1-8 on the season and travel to section foe Park Rapids for a game at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. East Grand Forks improves to 7-5 and will play at Roseau Thursday night. 

1st Period
16:25 – EGF – Jaksen Panzer (Garrett Beauchamp)
15:55 – EGF – Grady Magner (Brandon Anderson, Landon Parker)
14:33 – EGF – Caleb Schmiedeberg (Brandon Anderson) (SH)
11:25 – EGF – Logan Spencer (Trey Ausmus, Landon Parker)
8:59 – EGF – Tanner Lubinski (Landon Parker, Kole Chupka)
5:16 – EGF – Grady Magner (Zach Stocker)
3:09 – EGF – Landon Parker (Jaksen Panzer, Tanner Lubinski)

2nd Period
15:53 – EGF – Brandon Anderson (Tanner Lubinski)
13:09 – EGF – Tanner Lubinski (Jaksen Panzer, Landon Parker)
9:22 – EGF – Landon Parker (Tanner Lubinski, Logan Spencer)

3rd Period
15:33 – EGF – Grady Magner (Zach Stocker)
3:53 – CROX – Alex Longoria (Noah Kiel, Kaleb Thingelstad) (PP)
:45 – CROX – Jack Doda (Kaleb Thingelstad, Thor Harbott)

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