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The Wildcat girls’ hockey team has kicked off the 2025-2026 season with four straight wins, the first time they have had four or more straight wins to start off a season since the 2019-2020 campaign.

Chisago Lakes 8, Pine City 2

Junior forward Lexi Smothers had a goal and three assists to lead the Wildcats to an 8-2 extinguishment of the Pine City Dragons in the season opener Thursday, November 6 at Pine City Civic Center.  The Wildcats scored four goals in the first period and three in the second, outshooting the Dragons 35-16 for the game.

Senior Naomi Eaton led off the scoring just 17 seconds into the first period, assisted by senior Sese Ritter and freshman Audrina Kelley.  Eighth grader Aven Lyckholm scored just under a minute later to double the Wildcat lead to 2-0.  Eighth grader Brynn Secor and freshman Grace Schulte picked up the assists.  Eaton scored her second goal of the period around the five-minute mark, assisted by Lexi Smothers, and it looked like the rout was on.  The Dragons scored at 10:49 of the first period to cut the Wildcat lead to 3-1, but Lyckholm stretched the lead back to three with a goal just 48 seconds later, with the assists going to Eaton and Secor.

The Wildcats scored wo goals in the first five minutes of the second period to put the game out of reach.  Freshman Audrina Kelley scored two-and-a-half minutes into the period, with assists going to Lexi Smothers and eighth grader Zoe Neurer.  Neurer’s assist was the first point of her career.  Two minutes later, Neurer scored her first goal on a power play, assisted  by Lexi Smothers and Lyckholm.  Pine City scored midway through the period, but Lexi Smothers scored a power play goal with 30 seconds left in the period to stretch the Wildcat lead back to five.  Neurer and Allie Smothers picked up the assists on Lexi Smothers’ goal.  Running time started at 5:17 of the third period, when Kelley’s second goal of the game, assisted by Ritter and Cam Hinsch, put the Wildcats 8-2.  Senior goalie Ava Aarnio, making her first career start, stopped 14 of the 16 shots she faced to pick up the win.

Chisago Lakes 2, Holy Angels 1

In their home opener on Veterans Day, the Wildcats made the most of their 11 shots on goal and killed all four penalties against the Holy Angels Stars, winning 2-1 to improve their record to 2-0.  The stars outshot the Wildcats 21-11 for the game.  

Goalie Ava Aarnio stopped 20 of the 21 shots she faced to get the win.

Genevieve Nelson scored for Holy Angels four minutes into the first period. With Allie Smothers in the penalty box for tripping, Brynn Secor scored an unassisted shorthanded goal with 1:25 left in the period to tie the game at 1-1.  The Wildcats took the lead late in the second period when Aven Lyckholm scored at the 14:35 mark, assisted by Lexi Smothers and Allie Smothers, to make the score 2-1.  The Wildcat defense clamped down on the Stars in the third period, allowing just four shots as they protected their one-goal lead.

Chisago Lakes 5, Northern Tier 0

Sophomore Evalynn Partridge had a goal and an assist for her first two career points, and goalie Ava Aarnio notched her first career shutout as the Wildcats beat the Northern Tier Stars 5-0 Thursday, November 13 at Chisago Lakes Arena.

Partridge opened the scoring with an unassisted goal at 5:25 of the first period.  Just over two minutes later, Lexi Smothers put one in the back of the net, assisted by Aven Lyckholm and Allie Smothers, and the Wildcats led 2-0 after one period of play.  Naomi Eaton scored just over two minutes into the second period to stretch the Wildcat lead to 3-0, with assists going to Audrina Kelley and Cam Hinsch.  Allie Smothers scored seven minutes into the period, assisted by Partridge and Eaton.  And Lexi Smothers made it 5-0, scoring with just over 30 seconds to go in the period.  Zoe Neurer and Brynn Secor picked up the assists on Lexi Smothers’ goal.

The Wildcats outshot the Stars 38-16 for the game, and goalie Ava Aarnio stopped all 16 shots she faced for her first career shutout.

Chisago Lakes 3, Eastview 2

Goalie Ava Aarnio stood tall in the net against a constant barrage, stopping 37 of the 39 shots she faced to lead the Wildcats to a 3-2 over the Eastview Lightning at the Burnsville Ice Center on Monday, November 17.  The game featured just one penalty, and four of the five goals scored in the game were unassisted.

The Wildcats jumped out to an early two-goal lead.  Zoe Neurer led off the scoring at 1:29.  Just over a minute later, Cam Hinsch scored her first goal of the season, assisted by Allie Smothers and Naomi Eaton to double the Wildcat lead to 2-0.  Abby Davis scored for Eastview late in the period to cut the Wildcat lead to 2-1.  Audrina Kelley put one in the back of the net at 4:46 of the second period to put the Wildcats up 3-1.  The Lightning’s Maisie Carney answered just 22 seconds later, cutting the Wildcat lead back to one.  But the Wildcats once again held firm in the third period to come away with their fourth win of the season.  Eastview outshot the Wildcats 39-22 for the game.

Hockey Hullaballoo

The Wildcats (4-0) were ranked 19th in the state in Class A by Let’s Play Hockey in their November 11 poll.

 The Wildcats will head to Parade Ice Garden in Minneapolis tonight to take on the Minneapolis Novas at 7 p.m.  Continuing their schedule against teams with the same nicknames, the Wildcats will play the Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato Dragons this Saturday in a 1 p.m. matinee at the Dassel-Cokato Civic Arena.  And on Tuesday, November 25, they welcome the Mounds View/Irondale Mustangs to Chisago Lakes Arena for a 6 p.m. game.

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