Wasting no time after the Thanksgiving holiday, the Fergus crew began their tournament appearance with a matchup against Grand Forks on Friday afternoon. The Otters got off to a strong start with two goals in the first period: First, Ella Lee scored from left wing on a rebound from Maggie Greenagel. Then, Maddie Brimhall made it 2-0 with assists to both defense, Aubree Nelson and Kynzie Zender. Brimhall would score again in the second, this time assisted by Greenagel and Anna Rosa Sem. In the third, the Angels looked as though they might rally a comeback, scoring back-to-back to bring things within one. But, with 4 minutes remaining in the engagement, Greenagel decided it was time to earn some insurance, skating in for an unassisted goal. Final score was 4-2 Otters.
After a quick hotel breakfast, the girls returned to the rink to take on the Bismarck Capitals. Both teams brought their best to the ice, and, despite a lot of great back-and-forth, neither team could quite tickle the twine. After nearly 25 full minutes of great 12U Hockey, Greenagel finally put the Otters on the board, for the only score of the second period. Returning in the third, Evelyn Wedll chipped the puck off the wall past the Capitals defender, setting the stage for an impressive goal by Brimhall. Then, Lydia Johnson made it 3-0 for the final goal of the matchup. Making some impressive, sprawling saves, Otter Goalie Mia Olson earned her first shutout win of the season with 18 shots on goal.
With two wins under their belts, the Pemberton 12UAs prepared for another tough opponent, the Fargo Freeze. Both teams entered the arena with 2-0 tournament records. The Freeze earned the first lamp-lighter with 3 minutes elapsed, but the Otters returned the favor less than a minute later, with Brimhall scoring from Johnson. Next, Brimhall provided the assist on a biscuit by Greenagel. Finally, Averie Tonneson made it 3-1 Otters to close the first period, unassisted. Midway through the second period, a tripping penalty threatened to cut the Otters’ lead. Instead, Ella Dirkman outskated the defense for a short-handed five-hole goal, her first of the season. Fargo would earn one back before the close of the second period, making it 4-2 Otters. Then, in the third, Nelson earned the apple on another goal by Brimhall. Finally, Tonneson earned goal #6 from what seemed like an impossible angle, sneaking right behind the goalie’s back. Mia Olson earned 30 saves in the high-energy matchup.
Goalie Mia Olson readies for a save. (PHOTO by HEATHER DIRKMAN)
Maggie Greenagel scores an unassisted goal. PHOTO by HEATHER DIRKMAN
The 12UA poses with their 2nd place trophy. Not pictured: Evelyn Wedll, Brinly Shol, Celia Smith. PHOTO by HEATHER DIRKMAN
With a 3-0 record in pool play, the Otters earned the top seed in their half of the bracket, sending them to one of the two play-in games for the Championship. Facing the second seed on the other half, the Fergus girls faced Thief River Falls on Sunday morning. The winning team would advance to the Championship game, with the losing team participating in the third-place contest. In a much lower-scoring affair, Nelson cleared the zero unassisted in period one. Then, Johnson made good on an assist from Tonneson for a 2-0 lead. Despite placing 30 shots on net, these would be the only two goals scored in the matchup. Mia Olson stopped all 20 Prowler shots for her second shutout win in as many days.
Having punched their ticket to the Championship game, the Otters learned they would again face the Fargo Freeze, who won against West Fargo in the other semifinal game. With the dominant performance in their last matchup, all knew to expect a very physical showing from the opponent. Despite being down 3 players, the Fergus girls played their hearts out. In the first period, only Fargo could find the back of the net, and only once. Then, in the second, Nelson evened the scales. Unfortunately, the Freeze would earn one more goal in each of the second and third periods, for a final score of 3-1. While not the outcome they had been hoping for, the team was proud of their second place finish among some very talented teams.
Next up for the 8-1 Pemberton 12UAs are two home matches against River Lakes and St. Cloud on December 4th & 5th, before traveling to Bemidji to participate in their 12UA Tournament the following weekend.
