After advancing to the EDC hockey tournament with a 2-1 win over May-Port Area, No. 7 seed Devils Lake (10-13) lost 8-1 to No. 2 seed Grand Forks Red River (17-5) at Blue Line Ice Complex in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.
Friday’s game will now be a win-or-go-home contest for the Firebirds.
Red River, the defending state runner-up, won its ninth consecutive game — which includes a 6-0 win over Devils Lake on Jan. 29.
The Roughriders outshot the Firebirds, 39-13. Devils Lake goalie Matt Graue made 29 saves in 36 opportunities over 40 minutes of playing time. Devin Kempel took over for the last 11 minutes and made two saves out of three shots.
Red River scored two goals in the first period: one in the first five minutes, and another in the last five minutes. Caden Ulmer had an assist on the first goal, scored by Kale Gruenberg, and scored the second goal himself, with assists from Chace Kalka and Caden Svoboda.
Devils Lake had some early opportunities. The shots on goal margin was tied, 4-4. But the Roughriders had the next 11 shots as Devils Lake’s chances dried.
At 2:54 in the second period, Red River’s Griffen Haagenson made an impressive backhanded shot into the net. Another 1:53 of clock later, Stetsen Brown found the net. Mason Brenno had an assist on each goal.
The game’s first two penalties happened within 11 seconds of each other. Red River’s Brekkin Hultberg went to the box for roughing, and then Weston Nelson was charged with unsportsmanlike conduct after taking a hit. The Devils Lake bench expressed its apparent displeasure with the call before the teams played a 1:49 segment of 4-on-4.
Neither team scored in that time, or in the 11-second power play that followed. But Red River’s Chace Kalka dumped one in at 8:11 in the second period, assisted by Thor Seeger.
The period got away from the Firebirds, who trailed 5-0 after two.
Nelson was charged with his second penalty, this time cross-checking, with 26 seconds left in the second period, going into the first 1:34 of the third.
Devils Lake got on the board at 5:20 in the third period. Weston Stromme, the team’s top goal scorer and point getter, found the net on an assist from Jackson Schumacher. The Firebirds were briefly within a four-goal margin.
Red River went on to score three more goals in a span of less than three minutes. Brown, Ulmer and Haagenson each scored their second goal of the night.
Devils Lake moves to the consolation semifinals, where it will face the loser of Fargo Davies vs. Fargo North on Friday at Purpur Arena.
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