The Crookston Pirate Girl’s Hockey team, led by their Senior Captain Katherine Tiedemann’s three goals, beat the Bemidji Lumberjacks 7-4 at a game played at the Bemidji Community Arena. “It’s been a while and it’s sort of fun to remember what it’s like to score that many goals,” said Crookston head coach Tim Moe.
First Period
Bemidji, who had scored only 14 goals in their previous 11 games, started off the scoring just over four minutes into the game when Bella Webb jumped on a rebound to give the Lumberjacks a 1-0 lead. 38 seconds later, Tiedemann scored her first goal of the game taking a puck off the boards in the Bemidji zone and snapped off a shot that beat the Lumberjack goalie, Nettie Kimble and it was tied at 1-1. “We came out pretty strong,” said Tiedemann. “And kept forcing the play in their zone and when you do that as a team, sometimes you get a puck bounce your way and I was able to score.” About five minutes later, the Pirates took a lead they would never give up when Cassie Solheim swooped into the Bemidji zone swinging around to the top of the left circle and let nice crisp shot that stayed on the ice for a goal and Crookston’s lead was 2-1 which is how the period ended. “We gave up that first goal, but I liked the way our girl’s battled back and got a quick goal and added another,” said Moe. “Outshooting them 11-5 and scoring a couple was a good start.”
Second Period
It should have been an inkling of what the second period was going to become when the Pirates scored 18 seconds into the period. Rylee Solheim picked up the puck at the Bemidji blue line swinging to the right side of the Bemidji net and let a nice quick shot go and Crookston was up 3-1. “It was a nice start to the period and the girl’s were excited and all were anxious to get out there,” said Moe. The 3-1 lead lasted about a minute when Bemidji defenseman Chloe Hasbargen sent a shot on the Pirate goalie Kailee Magsam who made a stick save and the puck seemed to bounce up her body, over her head and bounced into the goal and Crookston’s lead was 3-2 early in the period.
Crookston would come back with Tiedemann’s second goal four minutes into the period on a rebound from Nora Peterson’s shot and the Pirates were back up by two (4-2). Bemidji answered when Elizabeth Oster scored on a high shot under the cross-bar to pull the Lumberjacks to within one (4-3).
Once again Crookston struck eight seconds later as Peterson stormed off the center ice face-off and into the Bemidji zone and beat Kimble on a nice shot to give Crookston a 5-3 lead. “Getting those goals quickly after Bemidji scored was key,” said Moe. “It took away any momentum they might have gained and provided big lifts for us.” Tidemann would snare her hat trick on a breakaway putting it past the Lumberjack goalie to give Crookston a 6-3 lead with seven and half minutes to go in the period. “Cassie (Solheim) gave me a nice up ice pass and I was able to break free and fortunately beat their goalie,” said Tiedemann. With her third goal, Tiedemann was able to double her scoring output for the season. “It’s the game of hockey,” said Tiedemann. “One night you get no chances or things don’t go right for you or you don’t get the bounces, then the next game it does. On our team just about anyone can have a night like this and I believe in this team and this being my senior year, I’m glad to be part of this team.” Bemidji wasn’t done yet as the Lumberjacks scored the last goal and seventh of the period when Kristen McClelland scored on a rebound to make it a 6-4 game with a couple of minutes to go and it would remain 6-4 at the end of the period. “We worked hard again,” said Moe. “Getting the early goal and kept going from there. We were paid off for the amount of hard work we did in the period.”
Third Period
Things slowed down considerably in the final period as far as goal scoring was concerned. Crookston took the first penalty of the game early in the period but skated it off. Both teams had opportunities and scoring chances but were stymied by the goalies, defensemen were clearing out rebounds and some chances that didn’t get on the net because of good backchecking. Crookston would score the only goal of the period when eighth-grader, Addie Fee was in front of the Bemidji net by about five/six feet and teammate Aleah Bienek passed a puck out front, and Fee used her backhand and put it in for her first goal as a Pirate to make it 7-4. “It was nice to see Addie get her first goal as her line with Aleah and Reese (Swanson) worked hard tonight and had some good chances and it was good to see them get one,” said Moe. “We got the puck from the officials so Addie can keep it for a momento.” Crookston had 13 shots on goal and had their only power play late in the period and ended up outshooting Bemidji 37-24. “We continue to get shots on net and it was nice to see a number of them go in tonight,” said Moe. “Maybe we were snake bit the last few games, but we keep working hard and good things eventually will happen and that was the case tonight. Hopefully we can continue to move forward as the season goes along.”
Crookston is 5-7-1 on the year and will be at Northern Lakes (a coop between Pequot Lakes and Crosby-Ironton) on Friday at the Breezy Point Hockey Rink which in Breezy Point. Bemidji is 0-12 on the season and will play Thief River Falls on Thursday.
JV – Bemidji won 1-0
| Scoring | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final |
| CROOKSTON | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| Bemidji | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
1st Period
4:19 – Bemidji – Bella Webb (Chloe Hasbargen)
4:57 – Crookston – Catherine Tiedemann (4) unassisted
9:45 – Crookston- Cassie Solheim (1) unassisted
2nd Period
0:18 – Crookston – Rylee Solheim (2) unassisted
1:21 – Bemidji – Chloe Hasbargen unassisted
4:08 – Crookston – Catherine Tiedemann (5) (Nora Peterson)
6:27 – Bemidji – Elizabeth Oster (Teriana Melcher, Kristen McClellan)
6:35 – Crookston – Nora Peterson (6) unassisted
9:20 – Crookston – Catherine Tiedemann (6) (Cassie Solheim)
14:34 – Bemidji – Kristen McClellan (Bella Webb)
3rd Period
9:25 – Crookston – Addie Fee (1) (Aleah Bienek)
| Saves | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final |
| Kailee Magsam-Crox | 4 | 8 | 8 | 20 |
| Nettie Kimble – Bemidji | 9 | 9 | 12 | 30 |
