PROWLERS HANG ON FOR A 5-4 WIN OVER PIRATE GIRLS HOCKEY IN SECTION SEMI

The ‘Prowler Curse’ continues as the Thief River Falls Prowlers held on to defeat the Crookston Pirates 5-4 in a Section 8A Girl’s Hockey Tournament semifinal at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls. Thief River Falls mastery over the Pirates is now stretching into 11 years since Crookston has beaten a Prowler team. It was not from a lack of trying, like the FOUR times they’ve played this year. Three were 3-1 wins with two empty-net goals and then the one-goal game tonight!!

First Period
Both teams knew it was important to get an early lead. It was Thief River Falls that got it with some nice stickhandling and moves by Bella Amiot who came into the Crookston zone, turned around a Crookston defenseman walked in the slot, and let a low on the ice shot that beat Crookston goalie Kailee Magsam and a minute and a half into the game, the Prowlers were up 1-0. “We were so worried about Shelby Breiland that we didn’t pick her up, and she made some nice moves, and they got the early lead,” said Pirate head coach Tim Moe. “The play actually started at their blue line, and we had a chance to pinch in but didn’t get the puck.” Crookston would answer with two goals, just short of two minutes apart, to take what would be their only lead of the game. The first one was a Mackenzie Epema shot from the point that Prowler goalie Gabriella Steele made the save on, but Aleah Bienek was in the right spot to pop it past Steele to tie the game. “That’s what we wanted to do, get in those dirty spots for rebounds,” said Moe. “Aleah is a tough physical player that can get in those spots.” Crookston would take the lead a couple of minutes later when sophomore Grace Fischer jumped on a rebound that went off Steele to her left side. Fischer got it to the left of the goal and almost at the red line when she wristed a shot that beat Steele to her short side for a terrifically place shot and goal and the Pirates led 2-1, and they were excited. “It’s nice to see that third line get some opportunities like that, and Grace did a very nice job of getting to the puck and placing her shot on goal from where she was. It was a huge lift for us at that point,” said Moe. That feeling lasted 11 seconds when the Prowlers off the draw had Shelby Breiland winning the face-off over to Janae Johnson, who was into the Crookston zone and in the circle to the left of Magsam took a shot that snuck by the Pirate netminder and any momentum the Pirates had was taken away by Johnson’s goal and it was 2-2. “Overall, we felt good going into the first-period break with the tie,” said Moe. “We played some good hockey in the period and looked forward to keeping it going in the second.”

Second Period
The Pirates did not keep it going as Thief River Falls came out buzzing to start the period and scored early again. This time their leading scorer Shelby Breiland did what she had done three or four times in the earlier meetings, pretty much-going coast to coast, evading the Pirates, turning around defensemen, and a hard shot that beat Magsam, and the Prowlers regained the lead at 3-2. “They really picked up their game,” said Moe about Thief River Falls, “and we didn’t match them. Give them credit for stepping it up and taking it to us in the period.” The Breiland goal came two and a half minutes into the period, and just less than five minutes, Bella Amiot scored her second on a rebound, and Thief RiverFalls had their biggest lead at 4-2. It could have been worse as the Prowlers Johnson had two break-a-ways that Magsam thwarted to keep it at a two-goal deficit. “Those were big for us to keep us close,” said Moe, “Kailee held her ground.” The Pirates almost got within a goal late in the period when Cassie Solheim shot from about eight feet out and to the left of Steele let a shot go that Steele made a brilliant right pad save on to keep it at 4-2, which is how the second-period end. “In the locker room, the seniors were telling the team that they didn’t want the season to end tonight. They wanted another practice with their teammates,” said Moe.

Third Period
The Pirates coaching staff decided to change things up in the third period. “This is a win, or we’re done scenario,” said Moe. “We decided to shorten our bench for the first time this season. It actually paid dividends. Crookston need something early, and this period they got it when Rylee Solheim sent a pass to Addie Fee, which sent her in on a breakaway, and the youngster snapped a shot that beat Steele and three and a half into the last stanza, the Pirates trailed 4-3. “That was actually a miss play by the Prowler defenseman,” said Moe. “Rylee was trying to get it out, and the defenseman slowed it down for Addie at center ice, and Addie showed a lot of confidence as Steele is a tough goalie to beat, and she shelved it on her and were back within one with a lot of time to play.”
Fee had another semi breakaway earlier in the game and was hauled down but didn’t draw a penalty. Thief River Falls had taken one penalty in each of the first two periods, and they took another one with just over eight minutes to go and a chance to equalize things, but the Pirates took their first penalty of the game a short time later. When the Thief River Falls penalty was over, they had well over a minute on the power play. With six minutes to go, Thief River Falls Gretchen Cota was coming into the Crookston zone to the left of Magsam, who gave just a small window for Cota to shoot at and the Prowlers on the power play goal were back up by a 5-3 score. With 4:41 left in the hockey game, Thief River Falls Jayden Breiland took a five-minute major penalty for boarding. “There was no question on the major call,” said Moe, “even the Thief River Falls coaches said they weren’t mad at the call but at the player for taking it there.” Crookston would use their time out at this time, and much of the first part of the major, Shelby Breiland spent much of the time icing the puck foiling the Pirate’s attempt to get something organized in the offensive zone. With 58.8 seconds to go and the Pirates pulling their goalie with a minute and a half to go, the Solheim sisters combined with Cassie taking a shot with the rebound coming out to a pinching Rylee and with Steele down, Rylee just had to get it on the net, which she did and the junior put the Pirates within one at 5-4. The last-minute, Thief River Falls did an effective job of bottling up the Pirates for most of it in their own zone, unable to get it out. The Prowlers counted down the last seconds to hang on to the 5-4 win and advance to the Section 8A Girl’s Hockey Championship on Thursday at the number one ranked in the State Class A polls, Warroad Warriors, who beat East Grand Forks 7-0 in the other Section 8A semifinal.

Thief River Falls improved their record to 10-6-1 while the Crookston Pirates end their season at 8-10-1. “Its good and bad,” said Moe, “we lose three terrific seniors that have meant so much to the program, but at the same time, we have a great number of players coming back, and hopefully, we can build on this year because it really has been successful any way you slice it. Whether it’s getting to play all our games during the pandemic, being competitive in nearly all the games. We just have to spend that time in the weight room, spend a little more time over the summer shooting pucks to send us over the edge.”  The three Crookston seniors and captains, Catherine Tiedemann and Mackenzie Epema have played since they were seventh-graders, and Nora Peterson, from Mayville, N.D., has played three years and led the Pirates in scoring will be missed. “I can’t say enough about those three,” said Moe, “what they’ve meant to the program is immeasurable, and it’s sad to see them leave, but we wish them well and know they are going to do well; wherever they next chapter takes them.”

1st Period
1:28 – TRF –  Bella Amiot  unassisted
10:15 – Crox – Aleah Bienek (2) (MacKenze Epema, Addie Fee)
12:14 – Crox – Grace Fischer (3) (Cassie Solheim)
12:25 – TRF – Janae Johnson (Shelby Breiland)

2nd Period
2:32 – TRF – Shelby Breiland  unassisted
4:47 – TRF – Bella Amiot (Kali Knutson)

3rd Period
3:35 – Crox – Addie Fee (7) (Rylee Solheim)
11:00 – TRF – Gretchen Cota (Shelby Breiland) (PP)
16:01 – Crox – Rylee Solheim (3) (Cassie Solheim) (PP)