Crookston Girls Hockey loses tough game to Fergus Falls on Senior Night

The Crookston Pirate Girls Hockey team had their Senior Night spoiled on Monday Night as the Fergus Falls Otters scored 3 unanswered goals to beat the Pirates 5-3 at the Crookston Sports Center.

FIRST PERIOD
The period started a bit slow for each side, as neither team got a shot on goal in the first 2 minutes of play. In total, there were only 13 shots on goal in the entire period. However, after the Pirates’ first shot was stopped by Olivia Jergens, the Otters’ first shot beat Madi Abrams, as Averie Tonneson scored unassisted to give the Otters a 1-0 lead. After this, however, a cross-check sent the Pirates on the power play, and Rilynn Aubol was able to cash in on a great shot from the blue line, tying the game at 1. Immediately after this, though, a checking minor put the Otters on the power play, and they scored just 21 seconds into it on a shot from Rachel DeBrito, and the Otters took a 2-1 lead. From there, the Oters had a number of good chances, compared to the Pirates’ 3 total shots on goal in the period, but Abrams capped the period off with two great saves, and the game stayed 2-1 at the intermission.

SECOND PERIOD
In the second period, the Pirates were determined to get more shots on goal, and that started with 3 in the first two minutes, but all of them were stopped by Olivia Jergens. The 4th shot for the Pirates, however, was not stopped, as Emma LaPlante intercepted a pass and scored on a breakaway, tying the game at 2. That style of goal would become very familiar in the second period, as after Adley Vigness came out of the box from serving a coincidental minor penalty, she intercepted a pass and scored on a breakaway herself, giving the Pirates their first lead of the night at 3-2. The Pirates then had a power play, but were unable to get a shot on goal on it. After this, with 5 minutes left, Fergus Falls got on a power play, and recorded 3 shots on goal, but Abrams stood tall to stop them all. However, as the penalty ended, a turnover behind net gave a wide open look to Averie Tonneson, who scored her 2nd goal of the game to tie things up at 3. Fergus Falls had a breakaway in the final seconds, but couldn’t get the shot off before the horn sounded, so the game stayed tied at 3 heading into the 3rd.

THIRD PERIOD
The third period continued the roller coaster of momentum that occurred throughout the game. Crookston had multiple advantages to start the third period, as they opened with two power plays in the first 5 minutes. However, the Otters did a great job stopping them, and that capitalized in an odd-man rush, in which Ella Dirkman was able to redirect a shot past Abrams for her first varsity goal, putting the Otters back in front 4-3. From there, the Pirates were put on the back foot by the Otters’ offense, but Madi Abrams continued to make saves to keep the Pirates in the game. With about 4 minutes left, an Adley Vigness shot bounced off of the pad of Jergens, then hit Aubrey BartruM, and then was put into net by Shyuh Burnette. However, the officials ruled a hand pass on Bartrum, waving off the goal. The Pirates kept trying to pepper Jergens, but after making a phenomenal sliding save, the Otters broke free, and scored on the empty net to cap off a 5-3 victory.

Crookston falls to 5-16 on the year, while Fergus Falls improves to 10-11.
JV – Crookston won 2-1 (OT)