ALEXANDRIA - With only a couple of minutes left in the eight-minute overtime period, the Alexandria girls hockey team needed to make a clutch play to break a 2-2 tie in Tuesday’s game against the Fergus Falls Otters.
Alexandria got the play it needed as junior defender Kylie Lattimer launched a shot that deflected off of teammate Aubrie Porter in front of the net and in for the game-winning goal, which gave Alexandria a 3-2 win in overtime at the Runestone Community Center.
“I was screening in front of the net and worked really hard to get in front of one of the goalies' eyes,” Porter said. “I noticed the puck came in a little high, so I used the tip of my stick to knock it down a little bit, and all of a sudden, it went in the back of the net. That was my first varsity goal, and it was a great feeling to score that. Then I heard everyone cheering and we just got together, huddled up on the ice after the goal and so it all felt great.”
Porter is credited with the goal, while Lattimer and sophomore forward Cadence Ellingson are credited with assists.
The Cardinals (1-1, 1-0 Central Lakes Conference) thought they had scored the game-winning goal a couple of minutes earlier with a goal by senior Lauren Maras, but the play was blown dead for a too many players on the ice penalty on Fergus Falls (2-1, 0-1 CLC), moments before Alexandria had possession in the Fergus Falls end.
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The Cardinals didn’t let that get them down, however.
“We're just proud of the way that they finished,” Alexandria head coach Molly Arola said. “To think that you won in OT with a goal, then it turns out that there was a penalty and then to kind of hit the reset button and come out again and to score it again, that just shows resilience and character of this group.”
Alexandria needed some late-game clutch plays to get the game into overtime, and it got one from Maras. She scored a short-handed goal with a little over four minutes left in regulation on an assist by junior forward Sophia Kornyta.
“She’s a senior that got the job done,” Arola said. “That's exactly what you look for in your senior leadership. It was well-deserved; she played a great game. That's what we need to have to happen from our returners and leaders in order to give us a chance to win.”
Fergus Falls had a 5-on-4 power play when Maras scored and had a 5-on-3 power play three seconds before Maras scored the equalizer late in the third frame.
“I told them to just keep it simple, not try to do too much, and make sure that we're doing the little things like taking care of that slot area and helping out our goaltender,” Arola said. “We found a way to weather the storm, and that gave us another chance to win.”
The Cardinals had a 28-18 shot on goal advantage in the win.
Sophomore Rachael Mohr earned her first career win in the net for the Cardinals. She had 16 saves on the night, including a couple of big ones to start the overtime period.
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Tuesday’s contest was scoreless for the majority of the first frame, but sophomore forward Morgan Aure broke through with a goal with 1:08 remaining in the frame. Alexandria had an 8-5 shot on goal advantage after the first.
Aure also scored in the Cardinals’ season opener, and her goal in that game on Saturday was her first varsity goal.
‘She's had a great year so far,” Arola said. “We're just a few weeks in, but she's settling in quite well and working well with her linemates.”
Maras and sophomore forward Kennedy Ellingson are credited with assists on the goal.
Fergus Falls swung the momentum in its favor early in the second period with goals Madalyn Hutler and Maddison Brimhall, and it led 2-1 with 10:35 left in the period but was shut out by Mohr and company from then on.
“I think we just started to pick each other up more,” Porter said.
Alexandria came into Tuesday’s with a 3-2 loss to Wayzata on Saturday on a last-second goal in regulation.
But now the Cardinals are aiming to use this win as a momentum builder moving forward.
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“This is a great confidence booster for us, and it gives the girls some energy,” Arola said. “Starting the season with a game against a top AA team isn’t easy. So for them to come back, find a way to win this one is a great start.”
Tuesday’s game was the first of two meetings between Alexandria and Fergus Falls in the regular season. Alexandria travels up to Fergus Falls for a game on Dec. 6. Alexandria went 1-1 against Fergus Falls a season ago.
Alexandria is back at home for a game against the Roseau Rams (2-0) at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Roseau has notched wins over Lakeville North, 4-1, at home on Friday, Nov. 11 and 6-0 on the road at East Grand Forks on Tuesday.
The Cardinals beat the Rams, 5-1, in Roseau during the 2021-22 regular season.
Arola said this year’s team is a mix of experienced players and fresh faces.
“We have a lot of returners, but we also have a lot of newcomers, and so the way that our returners and leaders in this group have been able to take these newcomers under their wing has been really fun to see,” she said. “There’s a great culture that has been built so far, and we're looking forward to the rest of the season.”
2022-23 ALEXANDRIA CARDINALS
COACHES - Molly Arola (head coach), Jeff Doherty and McKenzie Revering (assistant coaches)
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VARSITY LINEUP (as of Nov. 9, 2022) - SENIORS - Courtney Violette, Lauren Maras, Stella Brown, Sophia Wiseman, Ella Westlund, Aubrie Porter; JUNIORS - Alayna Loveland, Kylie Lattimer, Maya Wagner, Sophia Korynta, Sydney Menk, Jada Waldorf, Jisella Haskamp, Kaiija Niblett; SOPHOMERS - Alena Maras, Kennedy Ellingson, Kenna Klocke, Julia Doherty, Tayler Treat, Emma Ramstorf, Cadence Ellingson, Katherine Korynta, Morgan Aure, Lauren Hornstein, Zella Noetzelman, Ava Van Bruggen, Rachael Mohr, Hunter Sellnow; FRESHMEN - Jersey Severson, Lillian Dutton
REMAINING SCHEDULE -
Nov. 18 vs Roseau, 7:15 p.m.
Nov. 22 vs Brainerd-Little Falls, 7:15 p.m.
Dec. 1 at Sartell/Sauk Rapids-Rice, 7:15 p.m.
Dec. 3 at Buffalo, 3 p.m.
Dec. 6 at Fergus Falls, 7:15 p.m.
Dec. 8 vs Willmar, 7:15 p.m.
Dec 10 at Gentry Academy, 3 p.m.
Dec. 15 at Brainerd-Little Falls, 7:15 p.m.
Dec. 16 vs Holy Family Catholic, 7:15 p.m.
Dec. 22 at Rocori-River Lakes, 7:15 p.m.
Dec. 30 vs Orono, 3 p.m.
Jan. 5 at St. Cloud Crush, 7 p.m.
Jan. 7 vs Maple Grove, 1:30 p.m.
Jan. 10 at Moorhead, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 13 at Warroad, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 14 at Roseau, 2 p.m.
Jan. 17 vs Sartell/Sauk Rapids-Rice, 7:15 p.m.
Jan. 19 vs North Wright County, 7:15 p.m.
Jan. 21 at Bemidji, 7 p.m.
Jan. 24 at Willmar, 7:15 p.m.
Jan. 27 at Grand Rapids, 7 p.m.
Jan. 31 vs Rocori-River Lakes, 7:15 p.m.
Feb. 2 vs St. Cloud Crush, 7:15 p.m.
Feb. 7 Section 8AA Quarterfinals
Feb. 11 Section 8AA Semifinals
Feb. 15 Section 8AA Finals
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