by Scott DCamp
Sports Editor
The Thief River Falls girls hockey team was back on the ice for the first time in two weeks, winning a pair of home games Friday and Saturday at the Huck Olson Memorial Civic Center.
The Prowlers’ last action prior to Friday night’s home game against Detroit Lakes came on Saturday, Nov. 29 against Fort Frances in the second day of the Ralph Engelstad Arena Thanksgiving Classic. The team showed little rust from the two-week layoff with a dominant 10-1 win over the Lakers.
“I was a little nervous after two weeks of not playing a game and getting games postponed that we might come out a little flat, but the girls came out quick, played fast, and were hungry, scoring five in the first period,” said Thief River Falls Head Coach Brett Johnson.
The Prowlers put the puck in the net five times in the first period and scored three more goals in the second and two in the third to complete the 10-1 win.
Lila Dalager, Chloe Barrett, Alexis Sawatzke, Grace Knutson and Parker Olsonawski scored first-period goals, with assists credited to Knutson (2), Sawatzke, Kiptyn Anderson, Charleigh Hamre and Dalager.
Hamre, Sawatzke and Knutson scored goals in the second period, with Olsonawski, Rowan Kennett, Anderson, Miley Cota and Sawatzke earning assists.
Dalager entered Friday night’s game with 96 career points. Her 97th and 98th points came in the first period. She picked up her 99th career point assisting on a goal by Hamre in the third period, and she scored her 100th career point on a goal halfway through the third period.
“Special moment for her,” Johnson said. “I believe in my nine years as head coach, there are only two other athletes – Khloe Lund and Shelby Breiland, both attended BSU and played college hockey – that have achieved this milestone in Prowler Girls hockey.”
Olsonawski and Knutson also picked up third-period assists for the Prowlers.
The Lakers’ lone goal came with 8:10 remaining in the first period. Trailing 3-0, DL’s Aurora Jabas scored an unassisted goal.
Thief River Falls goaltender McKenna Carr turned away nine shots on goal to pick up the win for the Prowlers.
The Prowlers were back in action Saturday afternoon in a defensive battle against the 17th-ranked Otters, with the Prowlers winning 1-0 in overtime.
Olsonawski scored the game-winner on a rebound shot 27 seconds into the overtime period. Dalager and Hamre recorded assists on the play.
“Good game, back and forth action,” Johnson said. “McKenna [Carr] played well in the net. We maybe didn’t have our best game offensively, but I thought Fergus Falls played hard and did a good job of taking away our time and space and forcing turnovers. In the end we got the puck to the net and won the battle in the blue paint on the rebound.”
Shots on goal were hard to come by during Saturday’s game, with neither team attempting more than six in a single period. The Prowlers held a slight 20-15 advantage in shots on goal, with three of the 20 coming during the overtime period.
Carr denied all 15 shots she faced and picked up her second shutout of the season.
Saturday’s win was the eighth straight for the Prowlers, who improved to 9-2 on the season.
The Prowlers were scheduled to face 10-time defending section champion Warroad Tuesday night. Results from that game will appear in Saturday’s edition of The Northern Watch.
Scoring
1 2 3 T
Detroit Lakes 1 0 0 1
Thief River Falls 5 3 2 10
First period – TRF, Lila Dalager (Grace Knutson) 3:09; TRF, Chloe Barrett (unassisted) 7:21; TRF, Alexis Sawatzke (Grace Knutson) 8:09; DL, Aurora Jabas (unassisted) 8:50; TRF, Grace Knutson (Alexis Sawatzke, Kiptyn Anderson) 10:19; TRF, Parker Olsonawski (Charleigh Hamre, Lila Dalager) 16:08.
Second period – TRF, Charleigh Hamre (Parker Olsonawski, Rowan Kennett) 0:29; TRF, Alexis Sawatzke (Kiptyn Anderson, Miley Cota) 3:21; TRF, Grace Knutson (Alexis Sawatzke) 13:16.
Third period – TRF, Charleigh Hamre (Lila Dalager, Parker Olsonawski) 0:38; TRF, Lila Dalager (Grace Knutson) 8:32.
Shots – DL Detroit Lakes 4-1-5 – 10; TRF 18-14-5 – 37.
Power plays – DL 0-for-1; TRF 0-for-1.
Penalties – DL 1 (2 minutes); TRF 1 (2 minutes).
Goalie saves – DL, Paityn Solberg 27; TRF, McKenna Carr 9.
Scoring
1 2 3 OT T
Fergus Falls 0 0 0 0 0
Thief River Falls 0 0 0 1 1
First period – No Score
Second period – No Score
Third period – No Score
Overtime – TRF, Parker Olsonawski (Lila Dalager, Charleigh Hamre) 0:27.
Shots – FF 5-6-4-0 – 15; TRF, 6-6-5-3 – 20.
Power plays – FF 0-for-2; TRF 0-for-1. Penalties – FF 1 (2 minutes); TRF 2 (4 minutes).
Goalie saves – FF, Ella Sem 19; TRF, McKenna Carr 15.
Scoring – JV
1 2 3 T
Detroit Lakes 0 0 0 0
Thief River Falls 1 6 5 12
First period – TRF, Aubrey Payment (Kaitlyn Jahn) 1:20.
Second period – TRF, Aubrey Payment (Jillian LaRoque, Chloe Barrett) 0:37; TRF, Halle Seeger (Kaitlyn Jahn) 5:00; TRF, Aubrey Payment (Mabel Hinrichs, Chloe Barrett) 10:06; Halle Seeger (unassisted) 12:46; TRF, Chloe Barrett (Jillian LaRoque) 13:58.
Third period – TRF, Ella Breiland (Ava Barrett) 3:22; TRF, Jillian LaRoque (unassisted) 3:45; TRF, Halle Seeger (Ava Barrett) 6:02; TRF, Halle Seeger (unassisted) 7:00; TRF, Elory Mossestad (unassisted) 15:40.
Shots – DL 2-0-1 – 3; TRF 11-14-8 – 33.
Goalie saves – DL, Aubrey Peters 21; TRF, Faith Hartmann 3.
Fergus Falls JV 2, Thief River Falls JV 1
TRF goal – Miley Cota; TRF assist – Aubrey Payment; TRF goalie saves – Claire Munter 9.
Greater Minnesota
Conf. overall pts
Bemidji 4-0-0 7-1-0 8
Moorhead 2-0-0 5-4-0 4
Warroad 2-1-0 9-2-0 4
Thief River Falls 2-2-0 9-2-0 4
Roseau 2-3-0 6-5-0 4
East Grand Forks 1-3-0 7-5-0 2
Crookston 0-4-0 4-7-0 0
Results
■ Tuesday, Dec. 2 – Warroad 7, Crookston 0; Grand Forks 3, East Grand Forks 1.
■ Friday, Dec. 5 – Warroad 7, Gentry Academy 0; Andover 3, Moorhead 2; East Grand Forks 3, Cloquet/Esko/Carlton 1; Crookston 4, Rock Ridge 2; Breck 4, Roseau 0.
■ Saturday, Dec. 6 – Warroad 3, Breck 1; Crookston 8, International Falls 0; Roseau 6, Gentry Academy 0; Moorhead 11, Elk River 1; East Grand Forks 4, Rock Ridge 2.
■ Tuesday, Dec. 9 – Warroad 12, Fort Frances (ON) 1.
■ Thursday, Dec. 11 – Crookston 5, Detroit Lakes 4; Warroad 4, East Grand Forks 0.
■ Friday, Dec. 12 – Moorhead 11, Roseau 3; Holy Family 4, Bemidji 2; East Grand Forks 8, Fergus Falls 1; Thief River Falls 10, Detroit Lakes 1.
■ Saturday, Dec. 13 – Roseau 4, Alexandria 3; Thief River Falls 1, Fergus Falls 0 (OT); Holy Family 3, Moorhead 1.