PHM Gets 4-3 Win Over CEC

Jan 9

Kerry Rodd-NSO

The Proctor-Hermantown-Mirage girls hockey team was finally able to exact some sort of revenge against Cloquet-Esko-Carlton on Saturday night. The Mirage lost to CEC in the Section 7AA championship game last year and this season the Jacks got a miraculous goaltending effort again by Sarah Gustafson to beat PHM in their first regular season meeting. On Saturday night, however, the Mirage managed to get just enough offense to beat the Jacks 4-3 in Proctor.

Gustafson was brilliant again, this time making 39 saves, but it was the Mirage who managed to pull a tight game out this time. CEC scored first on a Callie Halverson goal just 1:07 into the first period, but by the time the period ended it was a pair of Hannah Buchite goals that had turned the tables and given the Mirage a 2-1 lead.

Halverson scored again in the second period to pull the Jacks into a 2-2 tie with Kalie Shevich and Savannah Hanson notching the assists.
Yet,
much like the first period, the Mirage responded with a pair of goals of their own, this time by Steph Strapple and Julia Gilbert.

Carley Esse made things interesting in the final period when she scored just 3:46 into the period with Courtney Esse picking up the assist to pull the Jacks to within 4-3. However, that would be all the closer the Mirage and goaltender Anja Morris would allow the Jacks to get.

Morris had a solid game in the nets for the Mirage making 17 saves on 19 shots and keeping the Jacks off the board late in the third period with a chance to tie the game.

Kerry Rodd can be reached at kerry@northlandsportsonline.com