Photo by Noah Clooten
Three days after a 9-0 blowout loss to West Fargo, the Devils Lake boys’ hockey team stayed alive.
The No. 6-seeded Firebirds (9-14) bounced back with a 4-3 overtime win against No. 10-seeded May-Port Area (12-11-1) on Friday at Purpur Arena. Brody Parker had the game-winning goal.
Goalie Brody Forsberg made 30 saves in 33 attempts. The Firebirds narrowly had more shots on goal than May-Port Area, 36-33.
The Ice Dawgs were coming off of their first EDC tournament win in program history, when they beat West Fargo Sheyenne on Tuesday. They rode that momentum into the start of Friday’s game, going ahead 1-0 just two minutes and 40 seconds into the game on a goal by Cale Gensrich.
But the Firebirds, who had six shots in a row at one point, tied it up at 14:30. Weston Stromme put it in the net with an assist from Weston Nelson.
A cross-checking penalty on May-Port Area at 16:37 extended into the second period. Braxton Boline, who’s come up huge lately, scored a power-play goal to put Devils Lake up 2-1. He had assists from both Westons, Stromme and Nelson.
But May-Port’s Jonathan Muhs scored just 22 seconds later. It was all knotted up again at two goals apiece.
Stromme’s second goal of the game gave Devils Lake the lead back at 7:23 in the second period. Logan Stokke and Boline were credited with assists.
Yet again, the Ice Dawgs responded. They were charged with interference at 3:21 in the third period, but Wyatt Heskin scored anyway during a Firebird power play. It was down to the wire in a 3-3 tie.
The shots-on-goal margin swayed back and forth, at one point coming in evenly at 31-31. It was still tied at the end of regulation.
So both teams’ seasons came down to an overtime period. Whoever gave up a goal, their season was over.
And it was the Firebirds who had the last laugh. Parker, who’s been one of the team’s leading scorers all season, put one in the net at 16:48 in overtime — only 12 seconds before the end of the period. Nelson and Boline had assists.
And so Devils Lake won. It moved to a Saturday state qualifier game at noon against the loser of No. 2-seeded Grand Forks Red River vs. No. 3-seeded West Fargo. The game will once again be at Purpur Arena.
