Girls Hockey: Shorthanded Bemidji battles to 4-4 draw with East Grand Forks

EAST GRAND FORKS – Erin Booth scored the tying goal with 1:15 remaining in regulation and the goal lifted the Bemidji girls hockey team to a 4-4 tie in Friday’s season opener for both teams here.

Lumberjacks goalie Morgan Miller preserved the tie in the final minute of overtime when she kicked out a low shot ticketed for just inside the post.

“I couldn’t have been any prouder of the effort the girls showed,” said BHS coach Bob Brink. “For having one week of practice and being down our two captains who are playing in the state volleyball tournament (Allie Heifort and Hanna Olson), tying a good team like East Grand Forks feels like a win.”

The Lumberjacks were trailing 4-3 late in regulation when Booth stole the puck along the boards in the Green Wave zone, skated toward the net and lifted a shot over the shoulder of East Grand Forks goalie Madi Galstad.

Bemidji notched the first goal of the game 2:50 into the action when Mackenzie Hietala took a feed from Katie Pogue and backhanded a shot past Galstad.

The home team answered with the next three goals, however, to take a 3-1 lead.

With 2:23 remaining in the stanza Bemidji drew within 3-2 when Karleigh Wolkerstorfer ripped a slap shot from the blue line past Galstad.

Neither team scored in the second stanza but the Green Wave took a 4-2 advantage 5:11 into the final period.

A minute later Hietala notched her second of the night when her slapper found its way through traffic and into the net.

After being touched for three goals on 11 shots in the first period Miller allowed only one goal through the final two periods and overtime.

“Morgan showed a little of the first-game rust early but she battled back, especially in the second and third periods,” Brink said. “Morgan kept us in the game.”

Bemidji returns to action Tuesday at Grand Rapids.

Bemidji 2 0 2 0 - 4

East Grand Forks 3 0 1 0 - 4

First period – 1, B, Hietala (Pogue), 2:50. 2, EGF, Eades (Koberinski), 5:19. 3, EGF, Mack (Koberinski), 8:53. 4, EGF, Piche (Eades), 13:34. 5, Wolkerstorfer (Booth), 14:37

Second period – No scoring

Third period – 6, EGF, Langei (R.Galstad), 5:11. 7, B, Hietala (Wolkerstorfer), 6:10. 8, B, Booth (unassisted), 15:45

Overtime – No scoring

Shots on goal – B 3-4-6-1=14; EGF 11-7-11-5=34

Goalies – B, Miller (34-30); EGF, M.Galstad (14-11)

Penalties-Minutes – B, 1-2; EGF 3-6