Girls take third in Warroad

The Fort Frances 12 and under girls’ hockey team travelled to Warroad last weekend and brought home third place along with the sportsmanship award.
Unfortunately, the local 15 and under team didn’t fare as well.
“The best part of the weekend was when the team got the most sportsmanlike award,” enthused John Pierce, co-coach for the 12 and under squad.
“They played hard and they were solid all weekend.”
Pierce noted the forwards forechecked, pressured, and skated well in all four of their games. And the defence was always there to hold the blueline to set up the forwards, he added.
The girls had opened up action with a tough 4-2 loss to Warroad.
After falling behind 1-0, Rachel Dutton (assisted by Katie McTavish) netted the equalizer later in the first period.
Then the Fort jumped into a 2-1 lead on Melissa Calder’s goal in the second but it proved to be short-lived. Warroad iced the game with three unanswered goals the rest of the way.
But the team bounced back and blanked Thief River Falls 4-0 on goals by Carly Holt, Sarah O’Sullivan, MacKenzie Caul, and McTavish. Brittany Cain and McTavish also were credited with assists.
Then going up against Warroad again, the Fort pucksters suffered a 1-0 defeat despite outshooting the host team 22-8. That loss left them in contention for third place with Thief River Falls.
And once again, the Fort prevailed, this time winning 2-0. O’Sullivan and Cain tallied the goals, with McTavish picking up an assist.
Pierce noted the team harmony among the girls was awesome.
“It was nice to have a team pulling as a group–they were happy for everyone,” he said. “Sometimes it is difficult not to have conflict.”
Pam Munn, a first-time hockey mom, said it was a top-notch tourney.
“It was exciting and nerve-wracking to watch my daughter play in her first year of hockey,” noted Munn, who reasoned it was a really good experience for those girls who had never been to a tournament before.
Meanwhile, the local 15 and under girls’ team had a tough weekend, being blanked in all three of their games although all three were close affairs.
The girls lost just 2-0 to host Warroad despite being outshot 63-8 and then fell 1-0 to Hibbing after giving up a short-handed goal (they were outshot 36-7 on that one).
Then their final match went to double overtime before they lost 1-0 to Hibbing in the third-place game.
“Kim Fowler was exceptional,” enthused Pierce. “She had 63 shots on net and only let two in. She came up big time and time again.”
Munn also said the coaches were super encouraging to the girls and they made it fun.