BOYS HOCKEY: Voge, Lalli score, but Bemidji drops home tilt with Alexandria

BEMIDJI – The Bemidji High School boys hockey team racked up 38 shots on goal against Alexandria at the Bemidji Community Arena on Saturday, besting the Cardinals by 11.

Unfortunately for the Lumberjacks, those shots only count if they go in. Two of the Jacks’ 38 found the back of the net, while Alex netted four goals on 27 shots to win 4-2.

The Cardinals got the scoring started in the first period with a goal by Mason Stennes at 4:17, but the Jacks countered at 6:17 with a power-play score by Cade Voge at 6:17. Alex got another by Brycen Berg at 15:17 to take a 2-1 lead into the break.

Bemidji (5-7-1) struck back at 8:10 in the second period with an unassisted goal from Josef Lalli, but the Cardinals (6-4-1) regained the lead on a Tyler Kludt score at 9:11 to once again lead at intermission.

In the final 17 minutes, neither team could find the net as the Lumberjacks chased a one-goal deficit. It wasn’t until BHS pulled goaltender Brayden Puppe that Alex added the capper, an unassisted goal by Josiah Gronholz at 16:13 that slid through the vacant crease.

Puppe finished with 23 saves on 26 shots faced, while Cardinals netminder Teagan Pfeffer collected 36 saves on 38 shots.

The Jacks return to action against Crookston at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 11, back at the BCA.

Alexandria 4, Bemidji 2

ALEX 2 1 1 -- 4

BHS 1 1 0 -- 2

First period -- 1, ALEX GOAL, Stennes (Breitzman), 4:17; 2, BHS GOAL, Voge (Mattfield, Knutson), 6:17, PP; 3, ALEX GOAL, Berg (Kludt, Gronholz), 15:17.

Second period -- 4, BHS GOAL, Lalli (unassisted), 8:10; 5, ALEX GOAL, Kludt (Gronholz, Berg), 9:11.

Third period -- 6, ALEX GOAL, Gronholz (unassisted), 16:13, EN.

Saves -- Puppe (BHS) 23; Pfeffer (ALEX) 36.