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Chisago Lakes 7, Blake 2

Brooke Klemz had two goals and three assists to lead the Wildcat girls’ hockey team to a 7-2 victory over the host Blake Bears in the opening round of the Crosstown Cup at Blake Ice Arena on Wednesday December 27.  The Wildcats outshot the Bears 47-24 for the game, including 21-8 in a three-goal third period.

Klemz got the Wildcats on the board right out of the gate, scoring at 2:29 of the first period, assisted by Naomi Eaton.  Klemz assisted on a goal by Ella Perreault with about seven minutes to go in the period to double the Wildcat lead to 2-0.  Perreault scored a power play goal at 9:53 of the second period, assisted by Klemz and Allison Smothers, to make it 3-0.  And 90 seconds later, Klemz tallied her second goal of the game.  Alyson Vogelsang and Grace Schulte got the assists.  Blake’s Callie Athur scored a minute later to spoil Wildcat goalie Breanna Ritter’s potential shutout, and the Wildcats led 4-1 after two periods.

Schulte scored a power play goal exactly at the ten-minute mark of the third period to make it 5-1.  McKenna Borene and Smothers assisted on Schulte’s goal.  The assist was the first career point for sophomore Borene.  After the Bears scored at 11:47 to cut the lead to 5-2, Borene scored her first career goal 90 seconds later, assisted by Eaton and Smothers.  And Olivia Rambosek scored the game’s final goal just under a minute later, with assists going to Klemz and Nora DeVries, to make the final score 7-2.

Orono 5, Chisago Lakes 0

The Orono Spartans showed why they are ranked number one in Class A this season, shutting out the Wildcats 5-0 in the Wildcats’ second game of the Crosstown Cup on Thursday, December 28.  The Spartans certainly lived up to their name on defense, allowing the Wildcats just eleven shots on goal for the game.  Orono launched 30 shots at Wildcat goalies Breanna Ritter and Evi Reedy.  The Spartans are led by two players committed to Division 1 hockey schools, juniors Macy Rasmussen (Ohio State) and Zoe Lopez (Minnesota State – Mankato), and several other players who may be headed for Division 1.  So, it’s safe to say they are loaded with talent and are one of the favorites to win the state tournament this year.

Chisago Lakes 4, Rogers 3

Brooke Klemz scored at 2:36 of overtime, assisted by Lexi Smothers, to give the Wildcats a 4-3 win over the Rogers Royals on Friday, December 29.  The win gave the Wildcats third place in the Crosstown Cup.  Klemz and Lexi Smothers had two goals apiece for the Wildcats.

Both teams got on the board early in the first period.  Klemz scored at 1:42, assisted by Alyson Vogelsang, and the Royals tied it up just over a minute later.  Smothers scored with four minutes to go in the second period to put the Wildcats up 2-1.  Camryn Hinsch and Kali Hanson got the assists.  Rogers tied it up at 7:18 of the third period.  The Wildcats again took a one-goal lead when Smothers put one in the back of the net at 9:04, again assisted by Hanson and Hinsch.  Rogers responded four minutes later, tying the score for the third time in the game.  The score stayed 3-3 and the game headed to overtime.

The Royals outshot the Wildcats 28-26 for the game, and Wildcats goalie Evi Reedy stopped 25 of the 28 shots she faced to pick up her second win of the season.  The two teams combined for just one total penalty in the game.

Hockey Hullaballoo

The Wildcats will head to the Pine City Civic Center to take on the Pine City Dragons tonight (Thursday) at 7 p.m.  Tomorrow night, they will face the Dodge County Wildcats at Dodge County Ice Arena at 7 p.m.  And  Tuesday, January 9, the Wildcats will play the seventh straight game away from Chisago Lakes Arena when they play Princeton/Big Lake/Becker at the Furniture and Things Community Event Center at 7 p.m.

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