BEMIDJI - The Bemidji High School girls hockey team earned its first victory of the season Thursday night against International Falls, overcoming a two-goal deficit after the first period to win 4-3.
“It’s nice to get the win,” BHS head coach Jackie Stoffel said. “They worked hard and they deserved every goal that they had.”
International Falls junior forward Lexi Edwards put the Lumberjacks down very early, as she scored just nine seconds after the first puck drop on a low shot that beat Jacks goalie Leighton Rockensock on her glove side.
Edwards added another on a slapshot from the top of the circle at the 10 minute, 38 second mark as the Broncos (2-2) took a 2-0 lead.
“We didn’t come out to play, and it reflected on the scoreboard,” Stoffel said of the Jacks’ first-period effort.
But once Bemidji (1-4) killed the penalty assessed at the end of the first, the Lumberjacks were able to take over the play and, eventually, the score.
Rachael Holm got it started with a powerplay goal four minutes into the middle frame when she found the back of the net from a pile in front of Falls goalie Kalaya McConnell.
Then, Maggie Marcotte picked a good time for her first career goal, tying the game at 2-2 about halfway through the second.
“She’s stepping up, she’s doing well,” Stoffel said of the freshman forward. “That third line is really young, and they’re developing quick and coming together as a line.”
It wasn’t until the third period that Bemidji grabbed its first lead.
Heather Olson sidestepped a Broncos defenseman and put it in the top corner of the net on McConnell’s glove side for the 3-2 lead, which is where the score stayed until the closing minutes.
With a faceoff in the Bemidji end with 1:45 left in regulation, the Broncos took a timeout and pulled their goalie.
Just seven seconds later, Madison Schultz took the puck from the faceoff and shot it in the middle of the net as soon as she crossed center ice.
The Jacks would need the two-goal lead, as Falls scored again with just over a minute left.
The Broncos almost tied it with seven seconds left when a Rockensock thought she caught a shot in her chest protector. The puck dropped to her feet, and she realized it just in time to freeze it before the Broncos could knock it in.
Rockensock finished with 24 saves, while McConnell stopped 22 of 26 Jacks shots.
The Lumberjacks are back at the BCA for a 7:30 p.m. matchup against Warroad. on Tuesday.
Bemidji 4, International Falls 3
IF 2 0 1 - 3
Bemidji 0 2 2 - 4
First Period - 1, IFHS-Edwards (Black), 0:09; 2, IFHS-Edwards (Unassisted), 10:38.
Second Period - 3, BHS-Holm (Defatte, Lalli), 4:10; 4, BHS-Marcotte (Olson), 8:42.
Third Period - 5, BHS-Olson (Unassisted), 3:59; 6, BHS-Schultz (Holm), 15:22; 7, IFHS-Auran (Erickson), 15:51.
