After a hiccup against the Hawks at Mound Thaler Hockey Arena that ended their 12-game winning streak, the North Shore Storm girls hockey team is back on track, starting with a dominant win against Rock Ridge on Monday, January 6, where they wiped out the Wolverines.
Sophomore Berkley Hoff struck first for North Shore at the Iron Trail Motor Event Center, with senior Sarah Stauber providing the assist. Rock Ridge responded quickly, but North Shore took control with the next two goals. Senior Nina Thorson found the net, assisted by Stauber for her second of the game. Stauber then added a goal of her own, with help from Thorson and freshman Hallie Komarek.
Rock Ridge struck again before the end of the period, narrowing the gap to 3-2 heading into the second.
The Storm opened the scoring in the second, with Stauber netting her second goal of the night off Thorson’s second assist. Rock Ridge answered back with another goal, keeping the game close.
In the third period, Komarek found the net with assists from Hoff and Thorson. Thorson later scored her second goal of the night, with Hoff and sophomore Giulia McGiffert contributing the assists.
Senior Alexa Harrison held strong in goal, stopping 23 of 26 shots. Meanwhile, the Storm unleashed an impressive 40 shots against the Wolverines.
On Tuesday, January 7, the North Shore team traveled to face the Hayward Co-Op, where the Storm rode out the Hurricanes in an overtime clash.
The game’s first goal came late in the first period, courtesy of sophomore Reagon Hogenson. Sophomores McGiffert and Reese Costley provided the assists on what remained the only goal until seven minutes into the third period.
The Hurricanes pushed the game into overtime, but Thorson capitalized on a power play to secure a 2-1 victory for the Storm. Stauber and Hoff assisted on the game-winning goal. Freshman Emmy Bentler shone in net, stopping 20 of 21 shots on goal.
Riding the momentum of two consecutive wins, the Storm set their sights on a third victory against Princeton/Big Lake/ Becker on Saturday, January 11. They not only extended their streak but delivered a 7-0 shutout.
Goal scorers included Stauber, Thorson, and freshman Lola Lundgren, with Costley and Hoff each adding two to the tally, as well.
The Storm dominated offensively, firing 66 shots at the Eagles while allowing only 11. In goal, Harrison made 9 saves, and sophomore Michaela Lindgren added 2.
Results from the Tuesday, January 14 game, where Rock Ridge looked for revenge at Rukavina Arena, will be reported in a later issue. The outcome of the Friday, January 17 matchup against International Falls will also be covered. The last time the Storm faced the Broncos, the result was a 12-0 shutout at Sonju Arena.
