The River Lakes Stars girls' hockey team ended their season with a disappointing upset loss against Thief River Falls on Tuesday, Feb. 8. The Stars were ranked seventh in Section 8, but the tenth-seeded Prowlers won 5-3 at the River Lakes Arena in Richmond. It was a difficult night for the Stars, who had a bye in the first round of the sectional playoffs.
Jenny Habben tries to score a goal for the Stars.
The first period was a good one for the Stars as they started off strong and played like a team. Senior center Kari Turkowski of Rocori scored the first goal of the game for the Stars. Soon after, Thief River Falls scored a goal as well to tie the score at one.
In the second period, the Stars knew they had to pick it up. And they did, scoring the next goal of the game to move ahead 2-1. The Stars' Melissa Jungels goal was assisted on a good shot from the point by Courtney Karsch. Jungels was in a great position and banked it in.
Thief River Falls really got even. The Prowlers scored two goals in just over a minute to take the lead, 3-2.
In between the second and third periods, the Stars players knew they only had fifteen minutes to go out on the ice and win the game. The Stars focused, discussed what they needed to do, and fired each other up.
But they couldn't put the puck in the net. The Stars outshot the Prowlers 44-31, but the Prowlers' goalie, Melissa Clark, made 41 saves in goal.
In the last minute, with the score still 3-2, the Stars pulled their goalie, Shari Vogt, in order to have an extra player on the ice. As soon as Thief River Falls got the puck, they shot it from center ice and, unfortunately for the Stars, the puck slid in. With only 58 seconds left on the clock, the Stars trailed 4-2.
The Stars fought and fought for the puck and got it into the Prowlers' zone. With a great play by Turkowski and Marya Losinski, Jungels shot in her second goal of the night to narrow the lead to 4-3. The Stars had 38 seconds to score again, but their net still was open.
With 21 seconds on the clock, the Prowlers scored their second open net goal of the night. That goal sealed the Stars' upset loss 5-3.
For the seven seniors on the team, it was a heartbreaking game to end their career as high school girls hockey players. Girls hockey has come a long way, especially for the very first Stars. "Leaving the ice and taking off my equipment was the hardest thing I have done," said Karsch, a senior from Paynesville Area High School.
| Thief River Falls-- | 1 | 2 | 2 | - 5 |
| River Lakes-- | 1 | 1 | 1 | - 3 |
First Period: RL-Kari Turkowski (Melissa Jungles, Mary Beth Johannes), 2:21; TRF-Stephanie Hoard (unassisted), 11:04;
Second Period: RL-Jungels (Courtney Karsch, Annie Bohlman), 3:12; TRF- Emily Twedt (Jenny Rude), 7:42; TRF- Abby Houske (Dee Dee Dally), 8:58 (pp);
Third Period: TRF-Lindsay Norhagen (Jenny Gonsorowski), 14:02 (open net); RL-Jungels (Turkowski, Marya Losinski), 14:22; TRF-Hoard (unassisted), 14:39 (open net).
Penalties: TRF- 5 for 10 minutes; RL-2 for 4 minutes.
Shots on goal: TRF- 31; RL- 44.
Saves: TRF- Melissa Clark, 41; RL-Shari Vogt, 28.