Thank goodness for running time.
In a game between Section 8-2A schools, that unfortunately got out of hand, the Brainerd/Little Falls Warriors peeled the Moorhead Spuds 13-0 at Essentia Health Sports Center Tuesday, Dec. 4. BLF pumped in nine goals in the first two periods, kicking running time into effect for the final 17 minutes.
BLF outshot the Spuds by a whopping 60-5, limiting winless Moorhead to one shot in each of the second and third periods. Three Warrior goals were registered on power plays.
Warrior forward Lindsey Booth paced the scoring parade with two goals and four assists. Forward Abby Pohlkamp contributed a hat trick and an assist. Defenseman Sophie Robinson added a goal and four assists. Forwards Cheyenne Abear and Ella Kalusche each collected four points.
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Lindsey Booth said remaining positive and focusing on passing were things to focus on during such a game.
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Warriors 13, Moorhead 0
- The key: Brainerd/Little Falls outshot the Spuds 60-5
- Overall: BLF 4-1-1, M 0-5-1
- Next: Brainerd/Little Falls at Sartell 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11.
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"What we work on at practice is the No. 1 thing," she said. "Just because they're not super fast, or not a good team, you want to keep going as hard as you can and not feel like you're sinking down to their pace." Warriors head coach Jim Ernster said one of the benefits of getting a breather is getting to play a lot of girls.
"But also one thing we emphasize throughout the game is making sure we're still sharing the puck, making sure we're trying to incorporate our defense a little bit more," he said. "Our play down low is pretty good with our forwards, but we're still continually trying to get our defensemen to get pucks cleanly through the zone. That's the type of things that you emphasize."
The one-sided contest provided players like eighth-grade goalie Breya Sawyer an opportunity to get between the pipes the last two periods.
"Breya got a chance to see her first varsity action so that's neat for her," Ernster said. "Those are moments that don't come along very often with the schedule we play so we've got to take advantage of them when we have that opportunity."
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After five road games to open the season, Tuesday's contest was the Warriors' first at home. The Warriors will hit the road again for their next three games before they return home Dec. 18 against North Wright County.
"After being on the road for so many games, it was nice to finally get home, get back on our ice," Lindsey Booth said. "That felt good."
With the clock running, Shaylee Stroot tallied twice in the third period and Gabbie Smith and Kalusche each scored once.
Cheyenne Abear, Kalusche, Josie Kramer, Pohlkamp and Lindsey Booth scored in the second period during which BLF outshot the Spuds 21-1.
In the first, during which the Warriors outshot Moorhead 22-3, Pohlkamp scored twice and added an assist, while Lindsey Booth netted a goal and two assists. Kramer appeared to score at 5:28 of the first, but it was ruled no goal otherwise it would have been 5-0.
BLF improved to 4-1-1 overall and has not lost since its opener at Cloquet-Esko-Carlton.
"I would say we've done pretty good," Booth said of her team's start. "Practices have been good, fast-paced. Our coaches have always taught us that what we do every day goes into our games. What we do in practice goes into our games also. I think we've committed to that pretty well."
For more photos of the game, go to https://bit.ly/2QDrgGM .
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Moorhead 0 0 0-0
Brainerd/LF 4 5 4-13
First period: BLF-Abby Pohlkamp (Josie Kramer, Lindsey Booth) 4:05; BLF-Sophie Robinson (Cheyenne Abear, Ella Kalusche) 9:36; BLF-L.Booth (Pohlkamp) ppg 12:25; BLF-Pohlkamp (Robinson, L.Booth) ppg 14:57
Second period: BLF-Abear (Kalusche, Marre Welinski) 0:21; BFL-Kalusche (Abear, Robinson) 2:11; BLF-Kramer (L.Booth) 2:45; BLF-Pohlkamp (Robinson, L.Booth) 8:11; BLF-L.Booth (Kramer) 12:58
Third period: BLF-Gabbie Smith (Abear) ppg 1:07; BLF-Shaylee Stroot (Robinson, Georgia Aus) 2:53; BLF-Kalusche (Stroot) 15:08; BLF-Stroot (Welinski, Lucy Peterson) 16:39
Shots on goal: BLF 22-21-17--60, M 3-1-1--5
Goalies: BLF-Olivia King (3 saves first period), Breya Sawyer (2 saves last 2 periods); M-Emma Kolo (18 saves), Paige Schmidt (29 saves).
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