The North Shore Storm boys hockey team powered through a packed schedule to close out January and roll into February. Freshman goalie Dax Krech has been a steady force between the pipes, anchoring the team throughout the season.
On January 27th, the Storm faced off against International Falls at Rukavina Arena in Silver Bay. Senior Ayden Althaus opened the scoring in the first period, assisted by freshman Kade Norman. The Storm held their lead until the Broncos tied it up early in the third.
Althaus wasted no time responding, scoring twice in under a minute to complete his hat trick, with assists from seniors Cole Anderson and Cam Peterson. To cap off the game, senior Albin Lindner added one more goal, assisted by Cooper Anderson, securing the Storm’s victory.
The Storm secured a 4-1 victory, with Krech standing tall in net. He faced 43 shots throughout the game, continuing to extinguish game threatening plays that would hinder the team’s success.
Greenway traveled to Two Harbors on January 28th, looking to repeat their early-season 4-3 win over the Storm. This time, however, the Storm shut them down with a 2-0 victory.
Cole Anderson set the tone early, netting a shorthanded, unassisted goal in the first period. Late in the second, Lindner added to the lead with an unassisted goal of his own, sealing the win for the Storm.
On January 31st, the Storm faced a tough matchup against River Falls at Sonju Arena, falling 6-0 as the Wildcats secured a shutout victory. Despite the score, Krech remained a steady presence in front of the goal, making 34 saves on 40 shots.
The Storm returned to Rukavina Arena on February 4th for a high-scoring battle against Moose Lake Area, coming away with a 6-5 victory.
The Rebels struck first in the opening minutes, but senior Jacob Carpenter responded with a goal, assisted by Althaus. Moose Lake answered with two more goals, putting the Storm behind 3-1. However, sophomore Nox Peterson cut the deficit before the first intermission, netting a shorthanded goal to make it 3-2 heading into the second period.
Once again, the Rebels struck early in the second period, making it a challenge for the Storm to close the gap. Cole Anderson eventually broke through, scoring North Shore’s third goal with assists from Althaus and fellow senior Reese Radke. However, the Rebels responded before the period ended, keeping their lead intact heading into the third.
The Storm dominated the third period, scoring all three goals to secure a 6-5 comeback victory. Nox Peterson, Althaus, and Cole Anderson each found the back of the net, with assists coming from Althaus, Nox Peterson, and Norman. Anderson’s game-winner was an impressive unassisted effort.
Krech stood strong once again, making 19 saves on 24 shots to help seal the win.
On February 6th, the Storm faced off against the Proctor Rails at Rukavina Arena. North Shore’s lone goal came on a power play, with Norman finding the back of the net off an assist from Carpenter.
Despite a relentless offensive push from Proctor, Krech held firm in net against 39 shots. However, the Rails managed to slip five past him, and the game ended in a 5-1 loss for the Storm.
On February 8th, the Storm traveled to Ely Arena and edged out the Timberwolves with a 3-0 shutout victory. Norman and senior Ethan Meeks both scored in the first period, with Nox Peterson and Cam Peterson each earning assists.
In the second period, Carpenter capitalized on a power play, with assists from sophomore Carson Kindstrand and senior Hunter Tikkanen to round out the scoring. Krech made sure the lead held, securing the shutout with solid play between the pipes saving 24 shots on goal.
The varsity team’s final regular season game took place against International Falls on February 11th. A full report on the game will be featured in a future issue.
