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Fergus Falls Otter Girls’ 12UA Makes History with First State Tournament Appearance

By Amy Wedll, 03/22/22, 5:30PM CDT

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The Fergus Falls 12UA Hockey team, sponsored by Pemberton Law, battled through the District and Region tournaments to earn a spot in the State tournament.  The appearance was a program first for the 12UA group and only the second in Association history, along with the 2000-01 15UA girls.

On Thursday, March 17, the Otter girls were treated to a sendoff breakfast from the Viking Café, before hitting the road for a weekend in Stillwater.  That evening, players and parents attended a pre-tournament banquet, where they heard a presentation from decorated hockey player & coach Mira Jalosuo.  Coaches Erik Johnson, Josh Shol & Dan Tonneson also had an opportunity to speak briefly about their team, as well as introduce a few players.  After some fun team photos, it was time to head to the hotel and rest up for an early morning game.
 


The team huddles up on the ice. PHOTO by JENNY OLSON


Maddie Brimhall scores an unassisted goal against Stillwater, her second of the game. PHOTO by JENNY OLSON


Players from the 12UA team after their State Banquet in Stillwater. Back Row, L to R Celia Smith, Kynzie Zender, Ella Dirkman, Aubree Nelson, Brinly Shol, Mia Olson, Maddie Brimhall, Lydia Johnson, Maggie Greenagel Front Row L to R: Claire Duffy, Payton

At 9 AM sharp on March 18, the Maroon & Gold took the ice against a powerhouse program, the Andover Huskies.  Despite the early morning, the Otters looked sharp, keeping pace from the very beginning.  Despite outshooting Andover early, Fergus would allow two first-period goals, the first at just under 4 minutes remaining, and the second in the final seconds.  In the second period, Goalie Mia Olson showed great control in front of the net, but a ricochet from a blocked shot at the three-minute mark made it 3-0, Andover.  Returning after the Zamboni break with some rested legs, the Otters finally found the back of the net with an unassisted five-holer from Brinly Shol.  Unfortunately, the Huskies would squelch an opportunity for a momentum shift, scoring just 40 seconds later and again at minute seven.  With a deficit of 5-1, the Otters got one last Power Play opportunity and made it count – Evelyn Wedll scored a second goal for the Maroon & Gold, with assists from Averie Tonnesson and Lydia Johnson, who set up the play with a hard shot from the point.  Despite ending with a 2-5 loss, the Otters were nearly equal in shots on goal, with 23 to the Huskies’ 25.

With a defeat on day one, Fergus Falls again found themselves with the first game of the day, a 9 AM must-win against the hometown Stilllwater Ponies.  Early in the game, it looked like the season might continue with lots of offensive pressure in the first period.  First, Lydia Johnson sent another hard shot from the point which snuck in with a bounce off a Pony defenseman.  Maggie Greenagel earned the assist on the early goal.  Then, a tripping penalty on the Ponies led to a great team-up with Tonneson scoring from Maddie Brimhall.  In the second period, Stillwater cleared the zero, but Brimhall fought her way down the ice and scored unassisted to make it 3-1.  Unfortunately, that would be the end of the Otter scoring, as the home team went on to score twice more in the second period and twice in the third.  Fergus Falls fought hard to the final minute, but couldn’t recover from the deficit, falling 5-3.   The Otters are one of only six teams who scored three or more goals against Stillwater’s goalie Solnitzky.

The Pemberton Law Otter Girls’ 12UA Hockey team ended their stellar 2021-22 season with an overall record of 31-8-2.  They represented Fergus Falls and greater Minnesota well, earning their shot to compete among the top 8 teams in the state.