The Storm faced off in a flurry of a game against Mora/Milaca the Friday before Christmas. The North Shore boys hockey team traveled to the Mora Civic Center to take on the Mustangs in what would prove to be an intense matchup.
Ayden Althaus scored two goals in the first period, including a powerplay goal assisted by fellow senior Jacob Carpenter and freshman Kade Norman. His second goal was assisted by senior Cole Anderson. Althaus earned an assist of his own, along with senior Cade Peterson, on Cooper Anderson’s goal in the second period. Anderson is also a senior.
The Mustangs bucked back, scoring two in the third period. Tempers may have been flying along with the pucks and there were plenty of penalties on each side, including an unsportsmanlike conduct on Mora/ Milaca. The game ended 3-2, with the Storm on top.
Shots on goal were nearly even, a sign of a well-matched game. Dax Kretch, a freshman, stood strong in goal for the entire game, saving 19 of 21 shots directed his way.
The team will face the Mustangs again at Sonju Arena on January 10th in what promises to be an exciting rematch.
After the holiday break, the Storm participated in the Bill McGann Holiday Classic Tournament at the St. Luke’s Sports & Event Center in Proctor. Their first game fell on Thursday the 26th, against Somerset.
Though North Shore scored first, with Althaus’ goal assisted by Norman, it would be the only one they managed to put on the board. The Spartans answered with two goals in the second period, and the game ended 2-1. Kretch was kept busy, saving 36 of 34 shots, while Somerset’s goalie faced 18 shots on goal.
The following day, the Storm faced Red Lake Falls. Carpenter attempted to set the tone early with an unassisted goal about six minutes into the first period. However, Red Lake Falls responded with four goals before the period ended, including a short-handed goal.
The Storm settled things down in the second period, with Anderson scoring the only goal of the period, assisted by Norman. The Eagles added one more goal in the third, and the game ended 5-2. North Shore recorded 14 shots on goal, while Kretch stopped 29 of 34 shots.
On the final day of the tournament, the Storm faced off against the home team, Proctor. The Rails scored twice in the first period before senior Reese Radke responded with a goal, assisted by sophomore Brenner Quinn.
Unfortunately, the game began to slip away in the latter half of the first period, as Proctor added three more goals before the break. The Rails scored twice more in the second, sealing a 7-1 victory. The Storm will look for revenge when they face Proctor again in February.
The Storm took on Duluth Marshall on Thursday January 2nd. The evening also featured a celebration for two players being inducted into the Mariner Hockey Wall of Fame, with plaques to be added in their honor (more details can be found in another feature within this issue). Results from this game, along with coverage of the January 4th matchup against Wadena-Deer Creek, will be reported in a future publication.
