CROOKSTON PIRATE GIRLS HOCKEY SHUTS OUT DETROIT LAKES

The Crookston Pirates Girl’s Hockey team dominated from the opening drop of the puck. It capitalized with Brekken Tull scoring twice in the second period to lead Crookston to a 5-0 win over Detroit Lakes at the Kent Freeman Rink in Detroit Lakes.

FIRST PERIOD
Nobody scored in the first period, but the Pirates did everything but score. There were great opportunities on tips, back door plays, and defensemen pinching steadily, but a freshman goalie for the Lakers, Talya Anderson, held the Pirates at bay. “It just goes to show you that you do things the right way, and the puck doesn’t always bounce your way,” said Crookston’s head coach, Emily Meyer, “the girls looked good, and we certainly controlled that period. We had a little bit of breakdowns here and there, but we saw a lot of positives: our defense was playing more offensively, and everyone was having a lot of fun.” Crookston outshot Detroit Lakes 16-2 in the period, but it was 0-0 after one.

SECOND PERIOD
Crookston came out as aggressive as they were in the first period, and I had it in the Lakers’ zone quickly off the faceoff. Putting on the pressure turned Detroit Lakes into reaching a lot, and the Pirates would draw a penalty and would go two for two on the power play. But the first goal was early in a tremendous play by Pirate eighth grader Jocelyn Field. She was in the offensive zone, down low, to the left of the Laker’s goal, and she slid a pass across the crease to Brekken.
Tull, who tipped it in to give Crookston a 1-0 lead.” Jocelyn’s line of Brekken and Brynley Coleman were moving the puck, cycling it, and setting up a triangle, which we practice all the time. Then Jocelyn made a great play to set up Brekken for that first goal.” Crookston would score their first power play of the game as another Pirate eighth grader, defenseman Adly Vigness, received a pass from Reese Swanson, and the youngster blasted a blistering shot past the Laker goalie for the first goal of her high school career to make it 2-0. “Adley’s been looking for that first goal,” said Meyer, “she has a heck of a shot and blasted by their goalie. Adley was smiling the rest of the game.” Crookston would add another with just under three minutes to go. It started with Coleman using her speed to get into the Laker’s end and was turned to the outside; she went behind the Detroit Lakes goal and came around to try and stuff a shot, which Anderson stopped with her skate but couldn’t hold it against the pipe to get a whistle. Coleman jabbed at the puck a couple of times, and then Tull got it open and slapped it in for her second goal of the period and on the power play for a 3-0 lead. “We went into the locker room saying we have to keep going out and have fun,” said Meyer, “we wanted to keep moving the puck like we had in the first two periods. We wanted to keep playing Pirate hockey as we had been and carry that on for the third period and going tomorrow afternoon as well.”

THIRD PERIOD
Crookston would score two more in the third period. The first was a rebound for Taylor Field, who popped it in to make it 4-0. Late in the period, Bynley Coleman got on the board when defenseman Morgan Nelson let what looked like a shot go, but instead, it was a pass toward the Lakers’ net, a crisp pass on the ice that Coleman would knock it in, to make it a 5-0 game. “It was a pass,” said Nelson. “I was trying to find a tip or rebound, and it was nice to see Brynley tip it. My shots have been off the mark this season, so I want to get it in a scoring spot for a teammate. I don’t care much about scoring, but setting up a play is nice.” Nelson has been a versatile player for the Pirates, playing both forward and defense. “I don’t care what I play. I just want to help the team get a win.”
Nelson played with partner Ashlyn Bailey on the blueline, “I like playing with Morgan back there,” said Bailey, “I’ve been having a hard time hitting the net on shots. In practice, I make everything, but I can’t get things right during games. Playing defense and being aggressive in the offensive zone is nice. I have to credit coach Andy Fee for getting the defense more offensive-minded tonight, and I thought we did that very well.” The Pirates had some bonding time this week, and it worked as the team played more as a team, with a lot of passing and great plays, whether they scored or not. “Together, we can always do something great,” said Meyer, “it’s something we have to keep in our minds going forward; that’s the difference between being good or being great, and I know these girls can be great. Making sure they work together every single period is how we will find success.” Kambelle Freije had only nine saves in the game to record her third shutout of the season, all against Section 8A opponents, Thief River Falls, Warroad and now Detroit Lakes!

Crookston improved to 7-3-1 on the season and will travel to Chisago Lakes tomorrow (Friday). “I can’t wait to play that game tomorrow,” said Bailey, “I know it’s going to be exciting.” The Chisago Lakes game WILL NOT be broadcast on KROX RADIO or Video Stream. Crookston gets back into Section 8A on Tuesday with a big matchup at East Grand Forks.
Detroit Lakes falls to 4-5 on the year and will be at Thief River Falls tomorrow night. The Lakers’ former head coach, Scott Piepkorn, resigned from his position on Monday, and new head coach Gretchen Norby coached tonight after only two days with her team, one on the ice. Norby is a former Laker who played at St. Cloud State and coached the girls for five years five years ago.
JV- Crookston won 5-2

Scoring	1st	2nd	3rd	Final
Crookston	0	3	2	5
Detroit Lakes	0	0	0	0

 

1st Period
No Scoring

2nd Period
3:08 – Crox – Brekken Tull  (2) (Jocelyn Field)
5:33 – Crox – Adley Vigness  (1)  (Reese Swanson)  (PP)
14:04 – Crox – Brekken Tull  (3)   (Brynley Coleman)  (PP)

3rd Period
5:04 – Crox- Taylor Field (3)  (Cassie Solheim, Reese Swanson)
13:50 – Crox – Brynley Coleman (3) (Morgan Nelson, Jocelyn Field)