Warriors 4, Roseau 3
The key: BLF scored three second-period goals
Overall: BLF 19-2, R 11-7-1
Section: BLF 10-1, R 4-2
Next: Brainerd/Little Falls at Cloquet 7:30 p.m. Monday.
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With four games remaining in the regular season, the Brainerd/Little Falls Warriors just need to maintain some semblance of their current play.
BLF skated a step toward a high seed in the Section 8-2A playoffs with a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Roseau Rams Friday at Essentia Health Sports Center. The win raised BLF's overall mark to 19-2 and its section record to 10-1.
"I think it's too early to tell," Warriors coach Jim Ernster said of a possible No. 1 seed. "(Thursday) night's (1-0 loss at Sartell) took a little bit out of that. Had we been able to take care of that thing, I think that would have cemented it. Given that we still have to play (section games against) St. Cloud and Moorhead I think it's too early to say.
"(That loss) muddled the waters. Like we told the girls, (Sartell was) the section champion last year, Roseau is another one of those perennial powerhouses. Until you dethrone them, the road to the section finals or the road to the section championship goes through Sartell or Roseau."
Playing their fourth game in seven days, the Warriors snapped in three second-period goals and withstood a frantic Roseau comeback in the third to secure the victory. BLF outshot the Rams 23-20 and had 16 quality scoring chances to Roseau's 14.
In a frenetic third period, the Warriors were outshot 7-6 and surrendered a goal by Anika Stoskopf at 6:23 of the third. Stoskopf gathered the puck after a Warrior defender fell down and beat goalie Olivia King through the 5-hole.
About a minute later, the Rams' Jenna Byfuglien charged out of the penalty box and burst in alone on King, but Byfuglien hit a post. The Rams pulled goalie Kiana Flaig with 1:04 left in favor of a sixth attacker, but the Warriors maintained their composure and their grip on the section's No. 1 Quality Results Formula (QRF) rating.
Roseau, which lost for the first time in five games, entered the contest with the No. 2 section QRF rating.
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"You need to become more familiar with those scenarios as you continue to build toward the playoffs," Ernster said of the third period. "For the girls to continue to make plays, continue to play with poise, that's just fantastic that they were able to do that because it helps prepare them for games down the road."
The line of Cheyenne Abear, Abby Pohlkamp and Lindsey Booth enjoyed a productive night as they combined for six points. Abear scored twice, set up both times by her linemates. Grace Schulte and Ally Smith supplied the other Warrior goals.
Trailing 2-1 entering the second, BLF slammed in three goals to seize a 4-2 edge.
Schulte started the flurry with a high wrister from the blue line at 10:07. Abear netted her second goal in front of the crease. The dagger was Ally Smith's goal with eight seconds left in the second. She was set up by Gabbie Smith as the sisters combined for several grade-A chances during the game.
Abear opened the scoring at 5:48 of the first when she banged in a rebound of a Booth shot.
Soon after Roseau benefited from two Warrior penalties. Ellice Murphy made BLF pay when she scored with a high shot from the top of the faceoff circle during a 5-on-3 advantage. MacKenzie Bergstrom made it 2-1 Rams when she scored into an open side of the net, which was vacant when King slid to her right to block a shot, briefly lost her stick and couldn't recover in time.
Roseau 2 0 1-3
Brainerd 1 3 0-4
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First period: BLF-Cheyenne Abear (Lindsey Booth, Abby Pohlkamp) 5:48; R-Ellice Murphy (Lindsey Santl, Kayla Santl) ppg 7:58; R-MacKenzie Bergstrom (Murphy) 12:49
Second period: BLF-Grace Schulte (Gabbie Smith, Ally Smith) 10:07; BLF-Abear (L. Booth, Pohlkamp) 11:27; BLF-Ally Smith (Gabbie Smith, Schulte) 16:52
Third period: R-Anita Stoskopf 6:23
Shots on goal: Brd 11-6-6--23, R 8-5-7--20
Goalies: Brd-Olivia King (17 saves); R-Kiana Flaig (19 saves).
