The North Shore girls hockey team has stormed into a five-game winning streak after the January 17th victory over International Falls up near the border. With earlier wins against Hibbing, Pine City Area, and Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, the team looks poised to repeat their success in rematches against those same opponents. If their momentum holds, the Storm could be in prime form for key matchups against Proctor/Hermantown and Visitation as the regular season draws to a close.
That’s right, playoff season is right around the corner. Last year, the girls made it to the Class 1A, Section 7 quarterfinal ultimately falling to Proctor/Hermantown, who had the advantage of home ice. With their final record of 9-17 last season, it’s clear that the team has improved and is a force to be reckoned with. At the time of this writing, they are sitting at 17- 2-1. Their only losses came at the sticks of Moose Lake Area and Westonka. The tie was against Hopkins/St. Louis Park where the opposing goalie had an impressive game, contending against 43 shots to North Shore’s 23.
On January 14th, the North Shore Storm hosted Rock Ridge at Rukavina Arena in Silver Bay for a rematch of their January 6th game. Despite Rock Ridge’s hopes for revenge, the Storm held firm, securing a 7-3 victory.
Reagon Hogenson opened the scoring with an assist from fellow sophomore Reese Costley. Less than two minutes later, senior Nina Thorson doubled the lead, capitalizing on an assist from sophomore Stella Lapointe.
Lapointe assisted on the next goal, as well, scored by Berkely Hoff, also a sophomore. Thorson also earned her first assist of the game in the play.
Thorson dominated the second period, netting two more goals to secure yet another hat trick this season. Hoff and junior Sarah Stauber were credited with assists on both goals, highlighting the Storm’s balanced offensive effort.
Rock Ridge managed to fight back with two goals, one of which came on a power play, but the Storm responded swiftly. Freshman Hallie Komarek extended the lead with a goal, assisted by fellow freshman Ashlynn Cavallin.
The Wolverines struck again early in the third, capitalizing on another power play. However, the Storm had the final word as Berkely Hoff netted her second goal of the game, with assists from Nina Thorson and Hallie Komarek, sealing the 7-3 victory and maintaining the Storm’s four-goal cushion.
Senior Alexa Harrison has been a standout in net all season, and her performance against Rock Ridge was no exception. Harrison blocked 15 of the 18 shots she faced, while the Storm unleashed 30 shots on the opposing net.
The following week, the Storm faced International Falls in a game that mirrored their December 12th matchup at Sonju Arena, which ended in a dominant 12-0 shutout. This time, they came just one goal shy of matching that score, delivering another blowout with an 11-0 shutout victory.
The Storm’s 11-goal shutout against International Falls showcased their offensive depth, with goals spread across all three periods—two in the first, seven in the second, and two more in the third.
Sophomore Callie Ernest and junior Ella Peterson each found the back of the net, while junior Sydney Erickson and sophomore Berkely Hoff both recorded two goals apiece.
Thorson secured yet another hat trick this season but achieved the rare feat of a pure hat trick—three unanswered goals in a row. To cap it off, Thorson reached a significant career milestone, scoring her 100th career goal during the game.
According to the MN Girls Hockey Hub, Thorson’s exceptional performance this season has placed her 4th in the state in points, a testament to her scoring prowess and playmaking abilities.
Congrats to Nina Thorson on the huge milestone! And congrats to the team for reclaiming their winning streak.
