Mariner boys on five-game win streak

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The Mariners boys’ hockey team extended their winning streak to five games with three more wins last week.

First they traveled to Ashland last Thursday and shutout the Oredockers 3-0. Then they returned home last Friday and defeated the Kittson County Central Bearcats 5-2 and the Hayward Hurricanes 1-0 last Saturday.

At Ashland, Luke Small scored what proved to be the game winning goal at 9:43 of the second period unassisted while the Mariners were shorthanded. Bradley Rowlee and Jordan Fralich scored in the final period to conclude the game’s scoring with assists going to Shane Billings and Chad Smuk. Zack Duresky stopped all 21 shots he faced to pick up his first varsity shutout. Dylan Hudson had 27 stops in the Ashland nets.

Back home the hockey team got revenge for the football team as they beat Kittson County, the school that ended the Mariner’s football season. After Billy Thoirsteinson put the Bearcats up 1-0, the Mariners scored three times before the period to take a lead they would not relinquish. Rowlee, Billings, and Fralich lit the red light for the Mariners and Thomas Anderson had two assists. After a scoreless second period, the Bearcats cut the Mariners to one when Tyler Cosley scored while Silver Bay had a two-man advantage. Rowlee restored the two-goal margin less than two minutes later and Fralich hit an empty net to clinch it. Alex Murray had 32 saves in the Mariner nets to pick up the victory. Tucker Cosley had 34 stops for the Bearcats.

The stars of the Hayward contest were obviously the goaltenders. The only goal of the game came at 8:02 of the final period off of the stick of Fralich during a Mariner power play. The Hurricanes outshot the Mariners 19-14 in the first two periods and 12-8 in the third, but Murray was there to stop all 31 Hurricane shots he faced and picked up his first varsity shutout. Darby Hand allowed only one Mariner shot to beat him out of 22, but it was enough for the victory.

The Mariners are away at International Falls tonight. Their next action will be during next week’s tournament.

Silver Bay-Cook County 0-1-2—3

Ashland 0-0-0—0

First period — No scoring.

Second period — 1. Luke Small, 9:43 (sh).

Third period — 2. Bradley Rowlee (Shane Billings), 1:02; 3. Jordan Fralich (Chad Smuk), 14:55.

Saves — Zack Duresky, SBCC, 21; Dylan Hudson, A, 27.

Kittson County Central 1-0-1—2

Silver Bay-Cook County 3-0-2—5

First period — 1. KCC, Billy Thorsteinson (Dalton Klegstad, Kyle Petersburg), 3:03; 2. SBCC, Bradley Rowlee (Thomas Anderson), 11:40; 3. SBA, Shane Billings (Anderson, Chad Smuk), 14:36 (pp); 4. SBA, Jordan Fralich (Billings), 15:17 (pp).

Second period — No scoring.

Third period — 5. KCC, Tyler Cosley, 10:36 (sh); 6. SBA, Rowlee (Fralich), 12:28 (pp); 7. SBA, Fralich, 15:36 (en).

Saves — Tucker Cosley, KCC, 34; Alex Murray, SBA, 32.

Hayward 0-0-0—0

Silver Bay-Cook County 0-0-1—1

First period — No scoring.

Second period — No scoring,

Third period — 1. Jordan Fralich, 8:02 (pp).

Saves — Darby Hand, H, 21; Alex Murray, SBCC, 31.

Tags: two harbors, silver bay, schools