The Firebirds and IceDawgs square off Saturday in a play-in game to reach the EDC boys’ hockey tournament. (Photo by Mojo Hill)
DEVILS LAKE — Kole Thomson entered Saturday’s EDC play-in game with one goal all season.
He chose quite a good time for his second.
“It’s awesome,” Devils Lake head coach Landyn Swenson said. “He’s been sick lately. But to come back on one day’s practice, come back after being out for the weekend and put that one in the back of the net, it’s a really cool experience for him.”
Thomson drew the first blood of the game for either team.
After almost 12 minutes of ice time, it was still scoreless.
Thomson received the puck from Devils Lake’s top point getter, Weston Stromme, then swung his stick.
“I saw the opening, and I shot at it,” Thomson said. “Was just hoping it went in.”
The junior defenseman tallied his fifth point of the season, and his first time finding the net since Jan. 8.
“Oh, it was a huge boost,” he said.
Devils Lake dominated the final few minutes of the first period, grabbing a 2-0 lead.
In the end, Thomson’s goal turned out to make the difference. Devils Lake (10-12) never scored again, but fended off a third-period goal by the IceDawgs to beat May-Port Area (12-10) by a final of 2-1 at Burdick Arena.
The Firebirds will live another day.
“It’s a big win,” Thomson said. “It gives us some fuel to keep going through the season.”
Devils Lake had to play on Saturday after recently falling to seventh place in the EDC. The top six seeds all advance to the EDC tournament automatically.
The Firebirds took 10 losses in an 11-game span.
“[Coach] just said we’ve got to take our work ethic up a step,” Thomson said. “And just be ready to play any game.”
Devils Lake beat May-Port 6-3 in a regular-season game Tuesday, outshooting the IceDawgs 44-10.
With star Wyatt Heskin back on the ice, May-Port played Devils Lake much more evenly.
The Firebirds had an early 6-4 disadvantage in shots on goal. They had more on the afternoon, but by a much tighter 32-25 margin.
“I can’t say it was our best game,” Swenson said. “But we did just enough in order to win a hockey game. So props to the kids for scoring on their opportunities and putting ourselves in an opportunity to make the EDC tournament.”
Thomson’s go-ahead goal came with 5:20 left in the first period. About four minutes later, with 1:11 remaining, Carson Hogness found the net for the sixth time this season. He had assists from two of Devils Lake’s most reliable seniors, Jackson Schumacher and Braxton Boline.
So the Firebirds, after a relatively slow start, went to the locker room between periods with a 2-0 lead. They had the final seven shots on goal of the period.
For the third time in the last four games, they led 2-0 in the first period. The previous two had ended in 4-2 losses.
Not this time.
While the Firebirds didn’t score for the rest of the game, goalie Matt Graue saved 24 of 25 shots to maintain the lead.
May-Port’s Heskin, who entered with 32 goals in 20 games, was held without a point.
“We game-planned a little bit for him,” Swenson said. “We didn’t know exactly what we were going to see. He was a good player last year. So just seeing his stats this year, we put our guys that can defend really well out there.”
Neither team scored in the second period.
The only penalty of the game for either side was a five-minute major on Schumacher for head contact. It came with 1:34 left in the second period.
Devils Lake nearly survived the major penalty. May-Port had only collected two shots on goal during the power play before Easton Hanson scored with nine seconds left. The lead became 2-1.
So, for the final 13:34 of regulation, the Firebirds had to play on their heels a little bit. One slip-up could have made it an entirely new game.
The IceDawgs gave it all they had. They outshot Devils Lake 11-8 in the third period. But May-Port was unable to secure any even-strength goals.
“It took some grit,” Thomson said.
Stromme grabbed possession of the puck in the final 20 seconds to stop May-Port’s final comeback effort.
Devils Lake’s topsy-turvy season took another swing — this time in a positive direction.
The Firebirds’ 1-10 stretch followed a 7-2 start. Now, they’ve won two in a row to inch their way into the EDC tournament.
“We’ve really got to step it up and play our game that we were playing with in the beginning of the season,” Thomson said.
Devils Lake will contend with No. 2 seed Grand Forks Red River on Tuesday. It’ll be played at the higher seed at 6 p.m. The tournament is double-elimination, continuing Feb. 20 and 21 at Purpur Arena in Grand Forks.
“Anything can happen in the EDC tournament,” Swenson said. “We’re going to prepare the kids in the best way, come Tuesday, and see where it goes.”
