PIRATE GIRL’S HOCKEY SUFFERS THIRD PERIOD COLLAPSE IN 5-4 LOSS

The International Falls Broncos scored two goals in 17 seconds to tie the game and took the lead two minutes later with a third goal in 2:17 as part of a four-goal third period to come from behind and beat the Crookston Pirate Girl’s Hockey team 5-4 Saturday afternoon at the Crookston Sports Center.

The Pirates didn’t generate much offense during the first period only getting three shots on goal, but they would get the only goal of the period when Catherine Tiedemann found Nora Peterson streaking up ice and Peterson beat the goaltender to the glove side for a 1-0 lead with 2:26 to play.  “Overall we got outplayed in the first period coming off a JV game where everyone had to play and then having a bit of a break waiting for the boy’s game to end,” said Pirate coach Tim Moe.  “Catherine found Nora streaking down the ice and that’s something we’ve talked about that with their skill level they have to find openings and trust the other one is going to get it to them. Nora did a fantastic job breaking around the defenseman and deking the goaltender.” Grace Koshney was perfect in net stopping all 14 Broncos shots in the first period.  

International Falls would tie the game early in the second period when Taylor Sears fed a pass to Maria Vollum who buried it for a 1-1 tie with 15:51 to play in the period.  But Crookston had an answer scoring two goals over the final 8:53 of the period to reclaim the lead.  On the first goal, Catherine Tiedeman fired a shot on goal from inside the left faceoff dot and the rebound popped out to the right where Samantha Sanders was standing to knock home the puck and give Crookston a 2-1 lead with 8:53 to play.  A couple minutes later it was pretty much the same story as Dillynn Wallace fired a shot on net and Grace Fischer was standing to the right of the net to clean up a rebound with the first varsity goal of her career to give Crookston a 3-1 lead with 5:05 to go in the second.  “Both Sam and Grace’s goals were very similar,” said Moe. “They were both able to get loose pucks on rebounds and make something offensively in getting more than one opportunity.  Grace overall scored four goals between JV and Varsity today and she’d hadn’t scored a goal all year in any game.”  The Pirates played their best period in the second outshooting International Falls 10-9.  

The Broncos brought pressure to open up the third period, but the Pirates were able to maintain a two-goal lead until a neutral zone turnover during a line change created a breakaway.  Grace Bragg forced the turnover while the Pirate defense was heading to the bench and brought the puck into the zone along the wall opposite the Crookston bench before cutting across the face of the goal and burying the puck to cut the lead to 3-2 with 11:54 to play.  “She’s a big, strong girl and that first goal is completely on us,” said Moe.  “Our forward is carrying the puck out of the zone and our defensemen think she’s going to the other end and come off for a change.  Our defensemen need to realize unless it’s dumped down deep you can’t come off the ice.  We had all the momentum going in our favor and that changed things instantly.”  International Falls would tie the game just 17 seconds later off the ensuing faceoff when fed a pass to Gwyneth Shinners and went in for goal with 11:37 to play tying the game 3-3.  “Right off the faceoff they got the puck in low and it was bouncing around a little bit and they were able to get it past Grace,” said Moe.  “It was a struggle on our part there to keep the momentum and then to stem the tide.”  Grace Bragg would create another turnover and skate left to right in front of the goal before burying her second goal of the game just two minutes later giving the Broncos a 4-3 with 9:37 to play forcing a Crookston timeout.  “We had to use our timeout there to stem the tide of momentum,” said Moe. “Unfortunately when we gave up the momentum and couldn’t get it back we had to use that timeout and that meant we didn’t have it at the end of the game to get our best players out on the ice.”  The Broncos would extend their lead later in the period on a scrum in front of the Crookston goal.  Olivia Wright was able to get her stick on the puck and lift it past Koshney to make it 5-3 with 4:45 to play.  The Pirates then took back-to-back minor penalties to go shorthanded but were able to use three of their best skaters – Peterson, Solheim, and Tiedemann – on the penalty kill to pressure the Broncos.  Solheim applied pressure on the forecheck at the Bronco blueline created a turnover, turned on the afterburner and beat the defense to the slot before beating the Bronco goaltender for her second goal of the season with 2:29 to play cutting the Bronco lead to 5-4.  “You don’t see that very often,” said Moe.  “We had three of our top kids on the ice at that time and were yelling at them that they had to take chances because we couldn’t wait it out until the penalties were done and try to score two goals in the last minute. Rylee won a puck battle and then showed off her speed getting around the defense and getting a big goal.  She wants to play forward in the worst way and was able to show some of that there, but she’s so good defensively we need her back there.” Unfortunately, once the power plays ended the Pirates couldn’t maintain much offensive zone time and were unable to tie the game falling 5-4.  

With the loss, the Pirates conclude the regular season with a record of 4-18-1 and should travel to Detroit Lakes on Thursday for the first round of the Section 8A tournament.  International Falls improves to 9-12-1 on the year. 

1st Period
2:26 – Crookston – Nora Peterson (7) (Catherine Tiedemann, Rylee Solheim)

2nd Period
15:51 – International Falls – Maria Vollum (Taylor Sears, Grace Bragg) PP
8:53 – Crookston – Samatha Sanders (3) (Catherine Tiedemann, Nora Peterson)
5:05 – Crookston – Grace Fischer (1) (Dillynn Wallace, Jenna Seaver) PP

3rd Period
11:54 – International Falls – Grace Bragg (unassisted)
11:37 – International Falls – Gwyneth Shinners (Grace Bragg)
9:37 – International Falls – Grace Bragg (unassisted)
4:45 – International Falls – Olivia Wright (Maria Vollum, Gwyneth Shinners)
2:29 – Crookston – Rylee Solheim (2) (unassisted) SH