Dickinson High let 2-0 lead slip, falling to Bismarck Legacy at home
Dec. 14—DICKINSON — The Dickinson Midgets find themselves on a bit of a skid, unable to secure a win since their first two games of the season. However, their most recent home match against Bismarck Legacy on Tuesday briefly seemed to signal the end of their run of losses, holding a 2-0 lead in the second period. Unfortunately, the Sabers rallied back for a 4-2 comeback victory.
As tough as it must have been for the Midgets on the rink to hear the final buzzer, desperate for a late goal, it didn't break their mentality. Head coach Lance Knudson and his team instead recognized their start-to-finish effort and the relief of getting on the board. Before the match, the Midgets hadn't been able to get the puck into the net since their away match against West Fargo United on Dec. 1. Coming out of the gates with two consecutive goals and holding their opponents until the second period was the focus of the result.
"It was a solid game. [The Sabers] are a good team," Knudson said. "They got some solid players that took advantage of us sometimes, but overall really good effort, good attitudes. We scored some goals and that was good."
Sophomore Kyndall Peterson opened the scoring in the first period during a power play and was assisted by senior Jenna Decker. Peterson then scored a brace for herself in the first four minutes of the second period. Both goals scored were not the prettiest, but they got the Midgets onto the scoreboard and the home crowd out of their seats.
With an insurance goal, Dickinson High started to relax, and that's when Bismarck Legacy responded. Just two minutes after the Midgets were up 2-0, the Sabers struck back.
DHS tried to keep the tempo of the game, attempting multiple shots, but in the last minutes of the second period, they found themselves shorthanded with a player in the penalty box. Goalie Olivia Vaagen made some difficult saves during this time, receiving cheers from the fans and their bench after every stop. One shot eventually got by her before Dickinson could return to full strength.
The Midgets entered the third period calm and collected, but Legacy held onto their momentum and got right in front of the goal to capture their first lead of the game. Ava Krikorian scored the goal and then scored another a few minutes later to settle it. DHS never stopped taking shots until the end of the match, finishing the night with 25 shots on target.
Vaagen stopped an incredible 37 shots on target.
The Dickinson girls will be on a break from competing until after the new year. They will host Mandan, who is currently third in the state, on Tuesday, Jan. 9.
