The Crookston Pirate Girl’s Hockey team continued its winning ways earning its second straight shutout win beating Bemidji 4-0 in a non-Section game played in Bemidji.
Crookston opened the first period with a goal by Kendall Bergquist, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead 6:22 into the game. “We kind of had a little discussion with our third line that they needed to pick it up a little bit and be a little better if they wanted to play more often,” explained Crookston head coach Tim Moe. “We started off the game shortening the bench a little bit, so that might have been Kendall’s first shift on the ice. The whole line got out there and was flying around. She got out there and pressured one of their better defenseman and forced her into a turnover. She went in on a breakaway and got a nice deke off of her backhand into the net. It was a great way to start the game for her and us.” Crookston’s goaltender Grace Koshney made eight saves in the first period preserving the Pirates’ 1-0 lead into the intermission. “We played well in the first period from the drop of the puck,” noted Moe. “We were moving our feet, and (Grace Koshney) didn’t have to be all that spectacular back there, but she made timely saves.”
Crookston added its second goal just 2:36 into the second period when Morgan Nelson set up Nora Peterson to double the Pirates’ lead. “That was huge,” added Moe on the second goal. “Bemidji came out with a little bit of a push. I don’t know if they took us lightly or what so for us to come out and get that second goal after they had a couple of chances was big. Nora Peterson had a nice little tip out in front of the net and was able to beat the goaltender. That was huge to get a little bit of a cushion.” Koshney stopped five shots in the period as Crookston carried a 2-0 lead into the final period.
In the final period, Nora Peterson added her second goal with 9:03 to play off assists from Raina Satrom and Cassie Solheim. Morgan Nelson scored an empty-netter with 1:50 to play, giving Crookston a 3-0 lead. “That was just a loose puck out in front,” said Moe. “Before that, Raina Satrom had two or three breakaways. She was in a great position the whole time, and she ended up getting a shot off-net, and it ended up at Nora’s feet. She was worried she was going to kick it in out of panic, but she’s getting more comfortable and settled herself down and put her stick on it into the back of the net.” Grace Koshney made eight saves in the third period, finishing with 21 stops on the night for her second straight shutout as Crookston won 4-0.
“It’s a completely different team atmosphere,” explained Moe of the team’s success compared to last season. “We’ve got a lot of kids with a lot of confidence. Part of it is we’re healthy. We’ve got Kylee Meier back, and about this time last year Kenze (Epema) got hurt. We have confidence. The young kids have confidence. The older kids have confidence, and the JV kids are there cheering us on. It’s just a great atmosphere right now. Bemidji is a good team with a win over East Grand Forks, Thief River Falls, and Detroit Lakes. Those are all section teams we’re trying to compete with, but I think we’re a completely different team than what we saw earlier. We’ve gotten somethings figured out with lineups and such, and everybody is playing with such a high level of confidence right now that it’s just fun to be a part of.”
Crookston improves 4-5. The Pirates host Detroit Lakes on Thursday in a Section matchup beginning at 7 P.M. Bemidji Falls to 3-6.
| Scoring | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final |
| CROOKSTON | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Bemidji | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1st Period
10:38 – CROX – Kendall Bergquist (2) unassisted
2nd Period
14:24 – CROX – Nora Peterson (3) (Morgan Nelson)
3rd Period
9:03 – CROX – Nora Peterson (4) (Raina Satrom, Cassie Solheim)
1:50 – CROX – Morgan Nelson (1) (Empty Net)
| Saves | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final |
| Grace Koshney – Crookston | 8 | 5 | 8 | 21 |
| Nettie Kimble – Bemidji | 6 | 2 | 9 | 17 |
