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Boys hockey skates to 5-2 loss against Northern Lakes Lightning |
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By Steve Morris
The North Branch boys hockey team fell to the Northern Lakes Lightning 5-2 at the Vikings home arena in Chisago Lakes Feb. 9.
The home team started the scoring when sophomore defenseman Jake
Zengerle aggressively jumped into a play, carried the puck mid-way into
the offensive zone before unleashing a hard and low wrist shot to beat
the Lightning goalie.
With Zengerel’s goal, the Vikings went ahead 1-0 with 10:27 remaining
in the period. Zengerle was assisted by sophomore wing Ken Broden.
Right: Jake Zengerle
The lead was short lived as the Lightning answered on a power play,
scoring quickly to knot the score at 1-1. The Lightning held a 17-7
shot advantage in the first period.
Scoring on consecutive goals in the second period, the Lightning took a commanding 3-1 lead.
Facing another man-short situation, sophomore center Lane Noyes deftly
stole the puck and raced toward the Lightning net minder. Noyes faked
left, moved right and slid the puck through the goalie’s five-hole.
This Vikings shorthanded goal closed the gap to 3-2 in favor of the
visitors.
The third period saw the Lightning clamp down defensively, limiting
most of the Vikings shots to the outside. The Lightning also found the
net two more times, once on the power play and also short-handed.
Leading 5-2 with two minutes remaining in the game, sophomore goalie
Scott Dennis stood his ground on a few point blank Lightning
opportunities and stopped them all.
Toward the end of the sequence, a collision of bodies surrounded the
Vikings net and when the commotion cleared, Dennis remained on the ice.
The trainer assessed the goalie and determined he should come out of the game.
The Vikings only suited one goalie up for the game as their other
goalie was away taking his ACT test. The Vikings pulled their goalie
for the rest of the game, playing 6-on-5 with the Lightning.
No goals were scored the rest of the way, with several Vikings players making some stops along the way.
In 49 minutes of play, Dennis saved 29 of 34 shots.
Head coach Darrell Schulte said his team played well.
“Despite being outshot 34 to 18, we played pretty well – although special teams let us down again,” he said.
The boys play their last home game Feb. 14 against Redwood Valley.
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