Before the game, East Grand Forks head coach Alex Robertson was asked how you beat the Crookston Pirates? “We must figure out a way to get pucks past Kambelle (Freije), she is such a great goalie. We have to get traffic in front of her, set up screens, look for tips.” The things the Green Wave worked on, didn’t help them on this night as senior Pirate goalie, Freije threw a shutout for the second time in six days against EGF as the Pirates whitewashed the Green Wave 3-0 on senior night at the Crookston Sports Center.
FIRST PERIOD
Crookston stormed out to start the game, putting pressure from the git-go, and had it pay off just about three and a half minutes into the game when senior Addison Fee found a reboundickly lifted it by East Grand Forks goalie in front and qu Britlyn Rasmussen to make it a 1-0 lead early. “We really liked the way we started the game,” said Reed Olson, Crookston’s first year head coach, “getting that first goal is always big and we did what we’ve been talking to the girls about, getting to the net and looking for rebounds, which Addie did score on the goal.” That would be all the scoring in the period, but Crookston had some Grade A chances but couldn’t get anything past Rasmussen. “She is a good goalie,” said Olson, “she is a big goalie in the net and takes away a lot of area to shoot at.” Crookston outshot the Green Wave 15-4 in the period.
SECOND PERIOD
Nobody would score in the 17 minutes of the second period, but not from a lack of trying! After the first period with no penalties, each team would have a power play opportunity in the second period. East Grand Forks took the first penalty and Crookston worked the puck very well with their number one power play but couldn’t find the back of the net with good goaltending by Rasmussen and some missed chances for Crookston. After the Green Wave killed off the penalty, Crookston would take a penalty a couple of minutes later. East Grand Forks had their best offensive display in those two minutes, the 10th leading goal scorer in the State of Minnesota, Brooke Schultz was dominating in the offensive zone, but you could almost see the wheels turning of how can I get one past Kambelle? Schultz had some wicked shots that Freije turned aside easily with the blocker, stick or glove. East Grand Forks had seven shots on goal in the period, but nothing to show for it and Crookston had 12 shots on goal with the same results. “It wasn’t our best period,” said Coach Olson, “they woke up a bit when they had the power play, and we withstood those two minutes and got back to playing our brand again.”
THIRD PERIOD
Crookston’s best period scoring this year has been the third period, outscoring teams 25-14 through 14 games. Two freshmen would score early and late to give Crookston some breathing room. The Pirates leading scorer, Jocelyn Field scored on a rebound from senior Kaylie Clauson’s shot from the blue line to make it 2-0 just under two minutes into the period. “That is what we want to do, get the puck on net and let our forwards scramble for a rebound. Kaylie put a nice shot on goal and a nice rebound to Jocelyn and it was 2-0,” said Olson. Crookston would play most of the period in the offensive zone and with six minutes to go in the game another freshman, Jensen Stinar was to the left of the Green Wave goal and when senior Parker Strand gave her a pass, Stinar put the shot on goal and it went off the goalie and over her into the net for Stinar’s second goal of the season and Crookston put it away with a 3-0 lead. The Pirates had 15 shots on goal in the period and outshot East Grand Forks 44-17 for the game. Crookston was 0-2 on the power play while East Grand Forks were also 0-2. Crookston is only 18% on the power play this season.
In the three games between Crookston and East Grand Forks this season, the Pirates have outscored the Green Wave 9 to 1. The only goal the Green Wave scored was on a power play halfway through the third period by Schultz, which meant Freije gave up one goal in 153 minutes of play! Freije has lowered her goals-against average to 1.78, and her save percentage is up to .938!!! “Kambelle is so fun to watch,” said Coach Olson, “she is a stud. She is athletic, smart, and quick, and with her in goal, we feel if we score three times, we’ll win most of those games. We can’t score on her in practice.”
Crookston improves to 10-4-1 on the season and still has three more games this week. On Tuesday they host the #10 Class AA ranked school, the Roseau Rams. Game time is 7:00 PM, and it will be on KROX RADIO and VIDEO STREAM on KROX TV at 6:30 PM. The Pirates will complete the week this weekend in the Twin Cities, playing Centennial-Spring Lake Park on Friday night. Centennial is the #3 AA ranked team. Crookston will finish the weekend at Champlin Park-Coon Rapids on Saturday afternoon. KROX RADIO will have the Centennial game on radio starting at 6:30 PM and there will be no broadcast of the Champlin Park game. East Grand Forks falls to 6-12-1 on the year and will be at Fergus Falls on Friday.
JV – East Grand Forks won 5-2
Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final |
East Grand Forks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Crookston | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
1st Period
3:24 – CHS – Addison Fee (11) (Jocelyn Field, Adley Vigness)
2nd Period
No Scoring
3rd Period
1:49 – CHS – Jocelyn Field (12) (Kaylie Clausen, Adley Verwest)
10:56 – CHS – Jensen Stinar (3) (Parker Strand)
Goalie | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Total |
Britlyn Rasmussen-EGF | 14 | 12 | 15 | 41 |
Kambelle Freije-Crox | 4 | 7 | 6 | 17 |








