sports

JACK DODA’S FOUR GOALS LEAD PIRATE BOYS HOCKEY TO FIRST VICTORY

January 9, 2020

Freshman Jack Doda exploded for four goals and an assist in the second period to help lead the Crookston Pirates Boys Hockey team to their first win of the season over the Park Rapids Panthers 7-2.

FIRST PERIOD
The Pirates once again put themselves behind the eight-ball on Thursday night in Park Rapids as an early penalty led to a powerplay for the Panthers. Less then 30 seconds into the powerplay Nash Mitchell would take a pass from Alec Nordin at the blueline and the Pirates allowed Mitchell to skate the down the slot and five a wrist shot past Noah Dragseth for a 1-0 lead with 14:50 to go in the first. “I said on the bench to the boys we’ve been in this position before,” said Pirates coach Josh Hardy. “We know what we can do. We just have to stay positive and keep working. A credit to our leadership, I’m really proud of them today for not letting an early deficit get to them.” The Pirates appeared to tie the game midway through the period but it was ruled a handpass on the Pirates and the goal was waved off. Park Rapids also looked to take a two-goal lead but that was also waived off before the Pirates would tie the game when Noah Kiel lifted a puck out of the defensive zone and a Panthers defender fell down trying to catch the puck. Jack Doda was able to pick it up the puck and carry it to the left corner before carrying down the end line before finding his brother Joey on the doorstep and Joey would flip it into the goal for his second of the season to tie the game at one with 4:59 to play in the period. “We played well in the first and dominated for long stretches,” said Hardy. “It was a great play. Jack came down the wide side and Joey came hard to the net like he’s known to do and buries on one the back door. He’s been a little snakebit this year so it’s nice to get him on the scoresheet.” The Panthers would reclaim the lead when Ethan Eischens knocked down a clearing attempt at the blue line and the puck fell on its edge, like a knuckle-puck in The Mighty Ducks D2. Eischens fired a shot on towards the goal and it was redirected by Joey Hillukka into the back of the net for a 2-1 with 11 seconds to go in the period. “We got hemmed into our zone and didn’t get pucks out,” said Hardy. “The second time there a defenseman gets the shot and their guy gets a redirection. Obviously, we’d have liked to go in 1-1 so it was a little deflating but maybe it woke us up a little and could’ve been a blessing in disguise.” The Pirates outshot Park Rapids 19-5 in the first.

SECOND PERIOD
The Pirates were able to erase the one-goal deficit early in the second period when Joey Doda fed a pass to Jack Doda in his slot who caught the goaltender sliding out of position to tie the game 2-2 just 28 seconds into the period. It was Doda’s team-leading eleventh goal of the year. “That was big,” said Hardy. “We talked about having to come out and get a fast start. Jack got a goal and had a great night as did that line in general. It’s crazy to think the kids a freshman, he has a bright career.” The score would remain tied until late in the period when the Pirates would pick up their fourth shorthanded goal of the season. The Panthers had a chance to clear the puck out of their own end when Ben Andringa whiffed on the puck but so did the Panthers and Jack Doda (12) ripped it into the goal for a 3-2 lead with 6:56 to go in the period. “Our penalty kills we always want to be aggressive,” said Hardy. “I think against a team we match up a little better with like Park Rapids that gives us an advantage.” The Pirates would kill off the remainder of the penalty and immediately go on the powerplay as Park Rapids’ Caden Opheim was given a five-minute major for checking from behind with 5:08 to play in the period. The Pirates score just 26 seconds into the powerplay when an Andringa shot was blocked onto the stick of Jack Doda (13) who flipped it into an open goal to complete the hat trick with his third goal of the period and a 4-2 lead with 4:42 to go. The lead was extended to 5-2 when Jack Doda slid a pass to Joey Doda at the top of the crease and he knocked it in for his second of the game and third of the year with 2:57 to go in the period. The Pirates would get their third goal of the major penalty when Jack Doda (14) picked up a loose puck off a blocked shot and fired it stick side past the goaltender for a 6-2 with 1:08 to go. “I just got in open spots and the puck would come to me with an open net,” said Doda. “We just keep working hard, we work hard in practice every day. We just to keep doing that I think we’ll get a couple more wins.” The Panthers Joey Hillukka would get a breakaway late in the period shorthanded but was ripped down from behind drawing a penalty shot. Hillukka skated in and fired a shot that Noah Dragseth stepped out stop with 37 seconds to go in the period. “I would’ve liked to see that go the other way,” said Hardy. “I thought it was probably just a two (minute minor) but talk about Dragseth stepping up to the plate and making a big save there for us.” The Pirates outshot Park Rapids 17-7 in the second.

THIRD PERIOD
The Pirates took a big lead into the third period but were able to extend their lead midway through the period when Ty Hamre took a bad-angle shot out of the left corner that hit the goaltender’s shoulder and popped into the net for a 7-2 lead with 8:30 to play. “I thought we struggled there in the third,” said Hardy. “You get up 6-2 or 7-2 you start to do things that are a little out of character. I thought we struggled in our own zone but we’re up 7-2 and again don’t need it to be our best period.” Park Rapids would outshoot the Pirates 10-6 in the final period.

Park Rapids falls to 3-11-0 on the year. The Pirates improve to 1-13-0 and will travel to #1 Warroad on Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. game.

Scoring	1st	2nd	3rd	Final
CROOKSTON	1	5	1	7
Park Rapids	2	0	0	2

1st Period
14:50 – PR – Nash Mitchell (Alex Nordin) (PP)
4:59 – Crox – Joey Doda (2) (Jack Doda, Noah Kiel)
0:11 – PR – Joey Hillukka (Ethan Eischens)

2nd Period
16:32 – Crox – Jack Doda (11) (Joey Doda, Ty Hamre)
6:56 – Crox – Jack Doda (12) (Ben Andringa) (SH)
4:42 – Crox – Jack Doda (13) (Ben Andringa, Alex Longoria) (PP)
2:57 – Crox – Joey Doda (3) (Jack Doda, Alex Longoria) (PP)
1:08 – Crox – Jack Doda (14) (Jade Selzer, Ben Andringa) (PP)

3rd Period
8:30 – Crox – Ty Hamre (1) (Unassisted)