PIRATE GIRLS HOCKEY FALLS IN OVERTIME AT PRAIRIE CENTER

The Crookston Pirate Girls Hockey team had one of their best all-around games of the season and ended regulation with a 3-3 tie, but Prairie Center (a coop of Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Sauk Centre, Browerville and Wadena-Deer Creek. scored a goal in overtime for a 4-3 win in a game played in Wadena.
Prairie Center came out strong and had 14 shots on goal while holding Crookston to three shots.  Prairie Center scored just over four minutes into the game when Kylee Hopp scored for a 1-0 lead.  Halfway through the period, Crookston answered with a goal by Jocelyn Brekken, her first varsity goal, when she deflected a shot by Kenze Epema and the game was tied at 1-1. “It was a nice goal and Jocelyn was in front of the net and got a stick on it and tipped it over the goalie’s glove,” said Pirate Coach Tim Moe. “Kenze was able to get the shot on the net and Jocelyn tipped it, it was really a nice goal.” That is how the first period would end and the Pirates were happy to be tied going into the first intermission. “There were 2-on-1’s all over the place and we kind of hung on,” said Coach Moe. “We didn’t play our best in the period, but we found a way to get through it which was nice to see.”
The scoring picked up in the second period with four goals coming in the final 4:14 of the period.  The Pirates took a 2-1 lead when Catherine Tiedemann scored off a rebound. “The puck was off to the side of the net and she was able to take the rebound and score,” said Coach Moe.  21 seconds later, Prairie Center scored to tie the game at 2-2.  Crookston regained the lead with 64 seconds left in the period when Aleah Bienek scored off a rebound and the Pirates led 3-2.  “We scored on a 5-on-3 and it was another rebound,” said Coach Moe. “It was off to the side of the net and she was able to score, very similar to Tiedemann’s goal earlier.”  Once again, Prairie Center responded with a goal when Kylee Hopp scored her third goal of the game with 22 seconds left in the period.  “There was a lot of penalties in the second period and we were able to take advantage with a goal,” said Coach Moe. “It was a pretty physical period and there probably could have been more penalties called.”
Crookston played very well in the third period and outshot Prairie Center 10-3, but couldn’t find the back of the net.  The score was tied at 3-3, forcing overtime.  “We played well but couldn’t find the back of the net,” said Coach Moe. “We also lost Kenze Epema to injury and that made us make some changes and it took us a while to get used to them.”
In overtime, Prairie Center’s Kylee Hopp scored her fourth goal of the game and the game-winner at the 4:38 mark of overtime for a 4-3 victory.  “Grace Koshney (Pirate goalie) played spectacularly today.  She kept us in the game and made some big saves for us today,” said Coach Moe. “Prairie Center was big and strong and that gave us some problems and they had the best player we have seen so far (Hopp).  It was a pretty physical game and we suffered some injuries, but I thought we started skating better and had some power plays and took advantage of them.  I told the girls after the game that I was extremely proud of them and the way they played today.  We fought and showed some signs of life and it was basically one girl that beat us today.”
Crookston drops to 2-4-1 on the year and will host Bemidji on Tuesday. Prairie Center improves to 4-5 on the year.

1st Period
12:54 – PC – Kylee Hopp (Reece Ritter)
8:37 – Crookston – Jocelyn Brekken (Kenze Epema)

2nd Period
4:14 – Crookston – Catherine Tiedemann (Nora Peterson, Grace Fischer)
3:53 – PC – Kylee Hopp (Megan Och, Anna Nedarascik)
1:04 – Crookston – Aleah Bienek (Nora Peterson, Kenze Epema)  (PP)
0:22 – PC – Kylee Hopp (unassisted)  (SH)

3rd Period
No Score

Overtime
4:38 – PC – Kylee Hopp (Anna Nedarascik)