GIRLS HOCKEY: Hasbargen, Bemidji spear East Grand Forks with dominant 4-1 win

BEMIDJI -- Chloe Hasbargen has had a good week.

First, she was honored as the Minnesota Wild’s female Hockey Captain Spotlight winner for the month of January. Then, on Thursday night at the Bemidji Community Arena, she scored the second of three first-period goals for the Bemidji High School girls hockey team.

The early surge keyed a 4-1 win over East Grand Forks in which the Jacks controlled the action throughout.

“Chloe is just one of those players who is like a coach's dream,” assistant coach Laura Carleton said. “She does all the right things. She's so secure within herself. She's just a great leader on the ice and off the ice.”

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

Sammy Nistler scored first for BHS, netting the opening goal 1:39 into the game off an assist from Kristen McClellan. Hasbargen doubled it up at 5:14, with McClellan adding her own at 14:19.

Hasbargen noted how good it felt for Bemidji to impose its will early and put the Green Wave in a deep hole. It turned out to be more than enough for the Jacks to take charge of the game.

“It feels wonderful,” Hasbargen said. “We talked about it a lot in the locker room, how it feels really nice to be able to control the play for once and kind of be able to show people our style of hockey and how we play the game.”

EGF (4-11) countered with its first goal at 6:27 into the second period, a breakaway score by Kendra Emery that made it 3-1. But that was it for the Green Wave.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

Nistler added an empty-netter at 16:32 in the third to seal the win, which improved the Lumberjacks to 4-14-2 this season.

Payton Weidemann started in goal for BHS and stopped 24 shots, earning the victory. EGF’s Ashley Corbett collected seven saves in a losing effort, while Britlyn Rasmussen relieved her in the second period and recorded 28 saves.

Carleton noted that Bemidji has grown through its struggles this year and managed to learn to judge games by attributes independent from the final score. That disciplined approach is starting to lead to more than just moral victories.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

“Our team chemistry is really coming together,” Carleton said.
As a team captain, Hasbargen has been an integral part of building Bemidji’s culture. Her efforts are paying off, as the Lumberjacks have won three of their last five contests.

“My main focus is just making sure all the girls go out there and have fun and also that we're putting in 100% of the work,” Hasbargen said. “No matter the wins or the losses, just making sure that we have fun out there is a really big thing for us.”

It was certainly an enjoyable night for the Jacks on Thursday, and one that showed they could make some noise in the section playoffs, which are a few weeks away.

Next up for BHS is a date with Moorhead at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29, in Moorhead.

Bemidji 4, East Grand Forks 1

EGF 0 1 0 -- 1

BHS 3 0 1 -- 4

First period -- 1, BHS GOAL, S. Nistler (McClellan), 1:39; 2, BHS GOAL, Hasbargen (unassisted), 5:14; 3, BHS GOAL, McClellan (unassisted), 14:19.

Second period -- 4, EGF GOAL, Emery (unassisted), 6:27.

Third period -- 5, BHS GOAL, S. Nistler (McClellan), 16:32, EN.

Saves -- Weidemann (BHS) 24; Corbett (EGF) 7; Rasmussen (EGF) 28.

1/3: Bemidji junior Kiera Nelson (18) takes control of the puck in the first period against East Grand Forks on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Bemidji Community Arena.

2/3: Bemidji senior Teriana Melcher (15) chases the puck in the first period against East Grand Forks on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Bemidji Community Arena.

3/3: Bemidji junior Bella Webb (10) controls the puck in the second period against East Grand Forks on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Bemidji Community Arena.