December 9, 2019 at 12:49 p.m.
Slow start costs Northern Edge in 3-1 loss to Arrowhead
Slow start costs Northern Edge in 3-1 loss to Arrowhead
Arrowhead scored three times in the first - including a pair of goals in the final 1 minute, 18 seconds of the period - which proved to be the difference as it defeated the Edge 3-1 at the Rhinelander Ice Arena.
The Warhawks outshot the Edge 23-6 in the first period. Edge found their legs in the second and third periods, but it was too little too late.
"Today we really learned a lot about ourselves, who we can be and who we want to be," Northern Edge coach Tom Roeser said. "I think we demonstrated, in the first period, who we can be. In the second and third period we demonstrated who we want to be. We have to really focus on that. We've got girls that really want to be on the ice. Whoever's working hardest is going to be on the ice."
Emma Tate, usually Arrowhead's starting goalie, skated out Saturday and scored a pair of goals while her backup, Libby Wilson, recorded 23 saves in victory.
Tate got the scoring started 4:01 into the contest as she received a pass from Norah Hazelton in the slot and beat Northern Edge goalie Alicia Turunen.
The score remained 1-0 until a late first-period flurry for Arrowhead. Lindsey McLean got long on the Northern Edge defense off a pass by Mae Myers. McLean made a move past the last defender, Emily Kassler, and beat Turunen to make it 2-0 at the 16:42 mark. Tate scored again 32 seconds later, as she knocked in a rebound off a shot by Emily Moe.
"We came out flat and they come out on fire. They had no lag over from playing Pines last night," Roeser said, referencing a 1-1 tie between Arrowhead and Northland Pines Friday night in Eagle River. "They just outworked us. I thought a couple of the goals that went in were a little weak for Alicia too, but she's a gamer so we kept her in and let her stick it out."
The Edge outshot Arrowhead 18-13 the rest of the way but had only one goal to show for their efforts. The team made a switch near the end of the first period moving senior Madi Losch back to defense and Kassler to forward which seemed to help the team on both ends of the ice.
"Emily's better with the puck and Madi likes to hold on to it a little too long sometimes and not get her shots off. Having Madi up top with that hard shot of her's helps, too," Roeser said.
Losch and Kassler hooked up on the Edge's lone goal as Losch hit Kassler to spring a 2-on-1 into the Arrowhead zone. Kassler did the rest, beating Wilson five-hole to trim the lead to two.
The was the only goal the Edge had in 24 shots, but it was not for a lack of trying. In the third period alone Losch and Kassler just missed hooking up on a pair of fly plays up the boards, Kate Vizanko had two chances off a faceoff with 9:10 remaining stopped by Wilson, Losch hit the left post on a breakaway and Wilson stopped a screened shot from the slot by freshman defender Maria Gironella.
"That's another thing we need to work on," Roeser said. "We develop a lot of 1-on-0s for ourselves but we continue to shoot right into the goaltender. (We need to work on) picking our heads up, finding a spot. The goal that Emily did have, we were focusing on shooting it hard and low. She did and she put one home."
The Edge pulled Turunen with 1:10 remaining. With the extra attacker, Kassler had a look from the bottom of the left faceoff circle that she fired right into Wilson's chest. Arrowhead won the ensuing faceoff and skated down into the Northern Edge zone where it killed off the final 30 seconds.
Turunen made 33 saves for the Edge, which dropped to 0-2-0 on the season with the loss.
The Edge hosted the Bay Area co-op Monday night in Antigo in a contest that concluded after deadline. The team's next contest takes place next Monday night against Northland Pines in Eagle River.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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