sports

CROOKSTON GIRL’S HOCKEY TIES WEST FARGO UNITED 2-2 AT THE THIEF RIVER FALLS CLASSIC

November 24, 2023

For the fourth straight game, the #9 ranked team in Minnesota Class A, the Crookston Pirates out shot their opponent and ended up rallying for a 2-2 overtime time with West Fargo United at the Ralph Engelstad Arena Girl’s Hockey Holiday Classic in Thief River Falls. After an opening season 5-0 loss to Prior Lakes, the Pirates have only given up three goals in the last three games, but they also have only scored eight goals in those same games and have a 2-0-1 record to show for it.

Today, it was much of the same as Crookston did score the first goal of the game on a power play when Kaylie Clauson, just moved up to forward for this game, got in close and was able to snipe a rebound off Reese Swanson’s shot to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead four and a half minutes into the game. “It was nice to see Kaylie get right in there and knock the rebound in, just the kind of goals we’ve been looking for. Get into the ‘dirty area’ and make it tough for their goaltender.” said Crookston head coach Emily Meyer. Both teams had a penchant for taking penalties as West Fargo scored just over three minutes later on a power play of their own when Reaghen Mathias grabbed a face off to the right of the Crookston goal, swung around in the high slot, wasn’t picked up and from about eight feet out blaster a shot past Crookston goalie Kambelle Freije to make it 1-1 half-way through the first period. “That zapped some of our momentum,” said Meyer, “but that is what happens when nobody picks up the player and let her walk in and shoot.” Crookston did have a terrific opportunity later in the period when Morgan Nelson jumped on a loose puck just outside the West Fargo blue line and was in alone on senior goalie, Maggie Seeley of West Fargo, who made a pad save to keep it 1-1. Seeley was the main goalie all of last year for United, 23 games and a 1.91 goals against and a save percentage of 92.2%! “Morgan came into the box after that opportunity and was saying, where do I shoot on her?,” said Meyer.

The second period was almost identical to the first period with a lot of physical play on both sides, but the West Fargo play seemed to throw the Pirates off with passes off the mark or no passes at all and more stick handling. “That has been a problem for us,” said Meyer, “we sometimes think we can go past everyone and don’t pass the puck and against aggressive and physical teams like West Fargo, we play into their hands.” It did appear the two teams would go into the locker room tied, but West Fargo’s Reegan Bents has other ideas when received a pass from Sydney Dye in the high slot and snapped a shot off the post down and in over the glove and shoulder of Freidji. “That was a tough one to give up in the last minute of a period,” said Meyer, “it was a terrific shot that certainly took a little wind out of sails going into the second period intermission.”

Crookston had good conversation in the locker room between periods. “We said it came down to who wanted it more,” said Coach Meyer, “it seemed to pump the girl’s up and ready to go as they really wanted it and knew the first two periods weren’t the way we wanted it to go.” What the third period produced was the best period the Pirates have played all season. All over the ice, forechecking and getting people in front or close to the net. About halfway through the final period, “in regulation”, Crookston would score one of those close in goals. Brekken Tull got in front of the net with Jocelyn Field behind the West Fargo goal and put it on the stick of Tull who snapped her first goal of the season on a power play to tie it at 2-2 with nine and a half minutes to go. That just sparked the Pirates as they kept up the extreme pressure, including a power play with two and a half minutes to go in the game. Crookston used their time out to set things up to try and get the winning goal. “We were really buzzing them,” said Meyer, “we just couldn’t get the puck passed their goalie. We really had great opportunities.”

The teams had a three-minute rest between the third period and overtime and the rallying cry was, to keep playing like we did in the third period,” said Meyer. The Pirates outshot West Fargo 12-3 in the third period. Crookston did keep it up and almost put it away when eighth grader Jocelyn Field put a shot off the cross bar with the clank heard through the arena. The overtime was eight minutes long and with 3:46 left, Crookston’s Brynley Coleman drew a two-minute minor penalty for checking. West Fargo used their time out to reset their lineup. The United really put on the pressure in the two-person advantage, but Freije stepped up again in goal, stopping all seven shots in the overtime. “I pretty much approach overtime games like the overall game,” said Freije. The Pirates skated three lines throughout the entire game including overtime and seemed to help them with conditioning late in the game.” Yes it did,” said Meyer, “that is something we hope to keep doing and have the same results of still having some hop later in the games.”

Crookston is now 2-1-1 on the year and will play Fergus Falls at 10:00 AM Saturday morning on Thief River Falls. That game will be on KROX RADIO and LIVE STREAMING on the radio as well by going to the link at the top of this page.
Crookston was ranked #9 in the state in the Class A polls in Minnesota while Fergus Falls was ranked #12. Fergus Falls is 2-2-1 after a come from behind victory tonight over Thief River Falls. West Fargo United is 1-0-1 on the year after tonight’s tie.