By Eric Morken
Sports Reporter
What does it take to stop the Alexandria girls' hockey team?
That is the question opponents have been asking for over a month now. Not only are the Cardinals winning, they are making it look easy in the process.
Alexandria extended its unbeaten streak to 12 games last Thursday with a 9-1 thrashing of Sartell-Sauk Rapids to move to 12-1-2 on the season and 8-0-1 in the Central Lakes Conference.
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There was no letdown after the big 2-0 victory the Cardinals picked up over the then No. 3 rated Breck Mustangs on December 22.
Alexandria also had to overcome a 12-day layoff between games, but there were no signs of rust on the skates of the Cardinals as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the Rapids after the first period.
It was the usual suspects doing the damage for the Cardinals as Ashley Holmes and Kathryn DelZoppo put up first-period goals.
It was in the second, though, that the floodgates opened. Nikki Ecklund scored the first of six goals in the frame for the Cardinals, giving her team a 3-0 lead with just more than one minute running off the clock. Abby Williams added to that almost a minute later.
After that Michelle Anez took over. She scored her first of three goals in the period seven minutes into the second frame on an assist by Holmes to give the Cardinals a dominating 5-0 lead.
After a goal at the 13-minute mark, Anez capped off the hat trick on a goal just before the end of the period that was assisted by DelZoppo and Williams.
It is the sixth time this season the Cardinals have won by more than five goals.
DelZoppo ended the scoring for her team with her second goal of the game five minutes into the final frame on an assist by Williams and Anez.
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It was the third assist of the night for Anez on a night where she finished with six points for the Cardinals.
DelZoppo, Holmes and Williams also had great nights with four points each.
The Cardinals will look to push their unbeaten streak to 13 games tomorrow when they travel to Brainerd to take on the Warriors.
GAME SUMMARY
ALEXANDRIA 2 6 1 9
SARTELL-SR 0 1 0 1
FIRST PERIOD - 00:44, Ashley Holmes (A) assisted by Abby Williams, Michelle Anex; 11:42, Kathryn DelZoppo (A) assisted by Ashley Holmes, Michelle Anez
SECOND PERIOD - 01:21, Nikki Ecklund (A) assisted by Stacey Paulzine; 02:41, Abby Williams (A) assisted by Kathryn DelZoppo, Ashley Holmes; 07:03, Michelle Anez (A) assisted by Ashley Holmes; 07:21, Kristen Bell (S) assisted by Kayla Hendrickson; 08:20, Megan Trenne (A) assisted by Abby Nelson; 13:03, Michelle Anez (A) assisted by Nikki Ecklund; 15:05, Michelle Anez (A) assisted by Kathryn DelZoppo, Abby Williams
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THIRD PERIOD - Kathryn DelZoppo (A) assisted by Abby Williams, Michelle Anez
