Fergus Falls Squirt teams compete in huge Fargo Flyers International

For The Journal

Published Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The Quality Circuits Squirt A’s played in what some may consider the largest Squirt tournament in the country: the Fargo Flyers Squirt International Tournament. Both Fergus Falls A and B Squirts were represented at the 3 day tournament including 48 A teams and 42 B teams. The teams came from as far away as Texas, Arizona, Canada and several teams from Colorado.

The A tournament started with a series of 3 team, 3 game pools. Depending on its record within each 3 team pool, a team was placed in the 1A bracket with a 2-0 record, 2A when 1-1 and 3A with two losses. The Squirt A’s lost their first game 8-0 to the Fargo Flyers. The Otters only managed 7 shots on goal the entire game, while Fergus goal tender Andrew MacFarlane got a workout making 29 saves. The 2nd game pitted the A’s against the Foothill Flyers of Littleton, Colorado. Fortunately for MacFarlane, his offense showed up and threw 33 shots on net at the Colorado team, while only facing 11 shots himself. Fergus won the contest 5-3, with a goal coming from Alex Phillipe on a breakaway with 4:56 left in the 1st period. Ean Goos charged the Flyer net from the right side late in the 2nd period, crossing the crease and slipping one past the net tender. Tosten Mann turned up the heat in the 3rd with 2 short handed goals. Kyler Peterson capped the win with an aggressive defensive move that gave him on a breakaway which he converted with 1:36 left.

The first official tournament game matched the Otters against the Chaska Hawks. The Otters found the penalty box 4 times and were outscored 3-0 in the 1st period. The latter periods saw much of the same as the Otters found the penalty box 4 more times and had 6 more goals scored against them. MacFarlane fended off 30 shots on goal, while the Otters only put 16 shots on net. The Squirts ultimately fell 0-9 to the Hawks, sending them down the consolation side of the bracket. In game 2, Fergus faced off against the Brainerd Warriors. The Otters managed to jump ahead with a late 1st period goal. Zach Tarczon found the puck off a face-off and fed Ean Goos at the blue line. Goos ripped a shot that rebounded off the goalie and onto the stick of Seth Pribbernow who poked it home. The Otters held the 1-0 lead until late in the 2nd period when the Warriors tied, and then scored again 3 minutes later to take the lead. The Squirts struggled throughout the 3rd period, fell another goal back at the 7:18 mark and were unable to recover, ultimately falling to the Warriors 3-1.

The Sunday match was against another Colorado team, the Hyland Hills Jaguars. The Squirts came out strong as they spent most of the 1st period in the Jaguars’ zone. Unfortunately for Fergus, the momentum was broken by a Jaguar goal. Both teams struggled to put shots on net as the weekend was beginning to take its toll. The Quality Circuit Squirt A’s couldn’t buy a goal all game, stumbling to a 1-0 loss in their final game of the weekend.

The Minnesota Motor’s Squirt B’s completed their traveling season with five games over the weekend in the Fargo Flyers International Tournament.

The International Tournament draws teams from the entire region and from across the United States. The Squirt B’s were on deck at 8:00 a.m. to take on Valley City skating a 0-0 tie after the first period. In the second period Valley City score the first goal of the game at the 7:50 mark of the second period. Valley City scored two more goals to start the third period and then Peter Johnson took the puck the length of the ice and drilling the puck past the Valley City goalie for the Fergus’ only goal of the game.

In the second game of the day Fergus Falls took one on the chin losing to Rosemount 9-0. Rosemount scored on five power plays, which hurt the B’s effort to stay with Irish. Fergus Falls goalie Derek Christianson made 15 saves in the game.

After a brief rest the Minnesota Motor B’s had one more game to look forward to. This time Fergus Falls squared off against another formidable foe in Burnsville, losing 7-0. It was a tough game offensively as Fergus Falls could only muster up 5 shots on the Burnsville net-minder. Fergus Falls goalie Derek Christianson made 14 of 21 saves on the evening.

On Saturday morning the B’s played a 12:30 p.m. game with Omaha Jr. Mavericks, loosing 4-2. The Jr. Mavericks got one goal in the first period and another in the second before Fergus Falls scored after Peter Johnson went the length of the ice and put the puck over the Maverick goal-tenders shoulder. Omaha came back with one more goal before Johnny Hermes got into the scoring action off an assist from Mitchell Cole making the score 3-2. The Jr. Mavericks then scored one more time leaving the B’s with a 4-2 loss.

In Sunday’s fifth and final game of the weekend the Minnesota Motor’s B’s ended the tournament with a thrilling 4-3 win over the Fargo Flyers White B’s. The game opened with a Fargo goal before Fergus’ Mitchell Cole went the length of the ice scoring an unassisted goal. Fargo then answered :30 seconds later making the score 2-2 and then added another goal in the second period putting Fergus Falls down 3-2 going into the third period. In the third period it was Abby Hobbs’ turn as she put one past the Flyer’s goalie off an assist from Mitchell Cole, tying he game 3-3. Both teams battled hard in the final minutes before Johnny Hermes took a pass from Mitchell Cole and fired it in the net with :14 seconds remaining in the game for the 4-3 win.

FF 10U girls test field in Brainerd Tournament

The Fergus Falls 10U Girls played in the Brainerd Tournament this last weekend. 

Saturday morning game was against the Pequot Lakes Girls.  Pequot Lakes almost had a shut out game against the FF 10U Girls.  Pequot Lakes scored 12 goals; Brooke Anderson on the FF 10U slapped the loan goal in unassisted in the 3 period of play.  This loss put the FF 10U girls right into the consolation bracket.

Saturday evening game had the FF 10U girls facing off against the West Saint Paul 10U team. The West Saint Paul girls came on with a bang in the first period and scored two goals.  The FF 10U girls came alive in the second period.  Annie Magnusson started off the scoring streak with Sophie Kuehl assisting.  The 2nd goal by FF was scored by Sophie Kuehl assisted by Brooke Anderson during a power play by West Saint Paul. The number 3 goal was scored by Brooke Anderson of FF and assisted by Annie Magnusson towards the end of the 2nd period.  The 3 period was scoreless.  The score was FF 3 and West Saint Paul 2.  Katie Shelstad was the winning goalie for FF.

Sunday the FF 10U girls played against the Brainerd 10U girls for the consolation championship.  The FF 10U girls won the consolation bracket with a score of 5 to 1.  Brainerd's lone goal was scored in the first period of play.  FF 10U came back in the second period with 2 goals.  Scoring were Sophie Kuehl and Brooke Anderson with Brooke Anderson and Ty Frame assisting.  The third period Sophie Kuehl scored a goal unassisted; Harley Whipps scored number four goal with Abby Moxness assisting and the final goal was scored by Brooke Anderson assisted by Ty Frame. Katie Shelstad goalie for FF saved 9 shots on goal.

 The FF 10 Girls team members are Ty Frame, Sophie Kuehl, Michaela Bock, Angel Herrera, Keanna Overland, Harley Whipps, Annie Magnusson, Brooke Anderson, Katie Shelstad, Abigail Moxness and Michelle Littlewolf.  Coaches are Mark Magnusson, Eric Shelstad and Sarah Stenerson.