Another day, another loss to a tough Fargo team for Devils Lake boys’ hockey.
The Firebirds’ (6-12-1, 3-11) last eight games have come against a team from either Grand Forks or Fargo, with Devils Lake going 1-7 in that stretch. Its latest downfall came to Fargo South/Shanley (9-9, 7-7) by a score of 3-1 at Burdick Arena on Tuesday evening, handing the Firebirds their fifth straight loss.
It was Senior Night for Devils Lake, with 10 fourth-years getting their recognition on the ice before the game started. There were red, black and white balloons set up for them, along with a “We heart our seniors” sign and a full pep band to boot. The seniors were announced individually over the mic, with personal anecdotes read about them.
It created a warm, homey atmosphere inside the otherwise cold arena. The players yelled with pumped-up anticipation as they sprinted onto the ice. But that energy and motivation couldn’t be channeled into a victory.
The Bruins first scored at the 9:59 mark in the first period. They had a quick, aggressive style of play where they’d often huddle up and put up a relentless attack against the Firebirds. It was too much for goalie Brody Forsberg, who’s done an impressive job this season with one of the best save percentages in the state. But he let one slip by him during a power play, and Fargo South/Shanley led 1-0.
The Bruins scored again just over a minute later, this time with Devils Lake at full strength. It was two successive goals against the Firebirds, which often seems to be their problem; they’ll defend well for the majority of the game, but a brief lapse will end up being the difference in the final result.
It was a physical period — and a physical game — with collisions against the glass, one of which even knocked the ref over.
Overall in the first period, Devils Lake managed to take just three shots on goal compared to Fargo South/Shanley’s nine.
Like they’ve done many times this season, the Firebirds hung in there and didn’t let the game get blown out of proportion. Devils Lake’s defense held strong, and at the 11:47 mark, a goal went in the net off the stick of junior forward Logan Stokke. He made the shot during a power play, and it wasn’t a cheap one — he made it from a long range, placing it perfectly in the top of the net. It was Stokke’s first goal of the year and eighth point; he’s had seven assists this year, but hadn’t yet scored a goal of his own.
Devils Lake narrowed the shots-on-goal gap to 11-8 in the second period. With the defense not surrendering a goal, the Firebirds trailed just 2-1 and weren’t out of it yet.
But they couldn’t get much of anything going offensively during the third period. Devils Lake’s top scorers, Brody Parker and Dayton Lunak, were held quiet.
Fargo South/Shanley’s Ethan Doll scored at the 13:02 mark — his second goal of the game. The Firebirds were outshot 16-5 in the third period, outmuscled by an athletic Bruins team that wouldn’t crack. The Firebirds had a tough time getting the openings they needed to score, with the only goal they did manage to get requiring a perfectly placed long-distance shot. The final tally in shots on goal was 36-16.
They lost 3-1, taking home another tough defeat despite a typically hard-fought effort.
The Firebirds will finish their season on the road against Fargo North (14-5, 9-5) on Tuesday.
Joseph “Mojo” Hill is a reporter covering Lake Region sports for the Devils Lake Journal. Contact him on Twitter @mojohill22 or at jhill@devilslakejournal.com for any tips, questions or story ideas.
