PIRATE GIRL’S HOCKEY FINISH SECTION 8A RUNNER-UP WITH LOSS TO #1 WARROAD

The Crookston Pirate Girl’s Hockey team battled the #1 Warroad Warriors in the Section 8A Championship game on Thursday night in Warroad. The Warriors used their speed and took an early lead while never looking back on their way to winning the Section 8A Championship by a final score of 8-0.

FIRST PERIOD –
It took 3:34 into the opening period before the first whistle was blown, and the bad news for the Pirates was that the whistle was blown for a penalty on Cassie Solheim for body checking, giving the Warriors the first Power Play of the game. Warroad’s top line is hard enough to stop at even strength, but the Warriors showed exactly why you don’t want to give them a Power Play, as Talya Hendrickson quickly scored, giving Warroad a 1-0 lead at the 4:03 mark of the period. A little over a minute later, the Warriors would strike again. Kaiya Sandy would pick up a loose puck in the neutral zone, skate up the right side, and beat Pirates goaltender Kambelle Freije making it 2-0. The Pirates were without Reese Swanson in this game after she broke her hand and could not suit up. That seemed to affect Crookston, and they struggled to get any offense going the entire period. The Warriors were relentless, spending almost the entire frame on the Pirate’s side of the ice. Warriors senior Talya Hendrickson (who has committed to play at Bemidji State) would add two more goals before the period was over, completing her hat trick as the Warroad student section tossed their caps onto the rink with a 4-0 lead. “That was tough for us,” said Crookston head coach Emily Meyer, “we didn’t want to take any penalties, but we did early, and they capitalized, scoring the power play goal plus one a minute later, they scored again. It took some of the wind out of our sail. It’s hard to dig yourself out of a 4-0 deficit against a team like them. We wanted to play good defense, and I think they got into our heads a little bit and just kept coming at us.” The Warriors would be called for a late penalty on a high sticking call, giving the Pirates a Power Play that would roll over into the second period. When the first seventeen minutes were all said and done, it was Warroad in front 4-0, and they were outshooting Crookston 19-1.

SECOND PERIOD –
Crookston could not score on the Power Play to start the period, and the Warriors returned to full strength. The Pirates did get one shot on goal from Addie Fee, but that would be all. Kambelle Freije played excellent throughout the first eight minutes of the frame, saving everything and even stopping the Warriors on a breakaway try. The Pirates were able to draw another Warriors penalty midway through the period, giving them their second Power Play of the night. However, it provided Warroad with a jolt on offense, and they would end up scoring a shorthanded goal to take a 5-0 lead. “We wanted to come out in the second period and try to shut them down and then chip away at their lead,” said coach Meyer, “they gave us no time or space in the game. They’d have two then three girls on us, you couldn’t hesitate, or they’d be on your, stealing or knocking away the puck.” Warroad’s first goal in the period seemed to open the floodgates, and after that, the Warriors would score two more goals fifty-two seconds apart from Lexi Kirkeby and Rylee Bartz. Warroad senior Talya Hendrickson registered an assist on the Bartz goal giving her 300 career points. Neither team would score the remainder of the period, and the Pirates would register the one shot on goal from Fee right at the beginning of the period on the Power Play. Warroad had outshot the Pirates 46-2 through the first two periods, and Crookston had limited chances offensively.  “Kambelle played well,” said Meyer, “they threw everything at her, and she gave up goals, but she played her heart out tonight.”

THIRD PERIOD –
The third period was played with running time, as Warroad was in front by more than six goals. That didn’t give Crookston many opportunities to cut into the deficit as the clock continued to roll with every whistle. The Pirate’s defense improved in the final seventeen minutes, and Kambelle Freije made more incredible saves to keep the score at 7-0. The Pirates could not break the shutout, and Warroad would add one more goal late in the game for a final score of 8-0, securing another trip to the State Tournament. 

The Pirates finish their season as the Section 8A Runner-Up with a final record of 17-7-2. They will lose three seniors from the team heading into next year as Jenna Seaver, Grace Fischer, and Kailee Magsam will graduate this spring. “We got where we wanted to,” said Meyer, “it’s our second year in a row being in the Section championship. Hopefully, next year will be our year, and after such a special year, the girls will consider working hard during the off-season, getting stronger, and working on things we need to. Become better defensively and offensively, and they will come back next year with a vengeance.”

Warroad improves to 23-3-1 and will represent Section 8A in the State Tournament, where they will be the number one seed looking for back-to-back State titles. The Warriors lose nine players to graduation, including their first line of Bartz, Hendrickson, and Kate Johnson, combined for 122 goals and 150 assists!!! This is 27 games!! Bartz leads the state in scoring, and the three first-liners are three of the top four scorers in Class A Minnesota. Warriors will lose five forwards and four defensemen to graduation.

1st Period
4:03 – Warroad – Talya Hendrickson (Cahlilah Lindquist, Kate Johnson) (PP)
5:08 – Warroad – Kaiya Sandy (Unassisted)
8:21 – Warroad – Talya Hendrickson (Lexi Kirkeby)
12:21 – Warroad – Talya Hendrickson (Abigail Chamernick)

2nd Period
9:56 – Warroad – Cahlilah Lindquist (Unassisted) (SH)
12:00 – Warroad – Lexi Kirkeby (Cahlilah Lindquist, Kate Johnson)
12:52 – Warroad – Rylee Bartz (Talya Hendrickson, Cahlilah Lindquist)

3rd Period
14:50 – Warroad – Rylee Bartz (Talya Hendrickson, Kate Johnson)

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