The Superior High School girls hockey team didn't play the sort of game they'd hoped for in their home opener against Fond du Lac Friday night, as the Spartans lost their first game of the season, 5-2. Superior now holds a 1-1-1 record.
Scott VanDamme, head coach of the Spartans, said his team simply came out flat from the beginning of the game.
"They weren't excited to play, and they've got to motivate themselves," VanDamme said. "We played better last week than we did this week. But we'll learn as we go I guess."
Even without an energetic start, Superior managed to stay with the Warbirds for most of the game.
Both teams were called for a penalty midway through the first period, but neither was able to convert. They remained in a scoreless tie until the last minute in the first period. At that point, the Warbirds' Lindsay Farmer found Katie Fritz waiting in front of the goal. Fritz then tucked the puck past Superior's Janine Seifert to give Fond du Lac a 1-0 lead after one period. Also assisting on the goal was Megan Sesing-Gomoll.
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Fond du Lac maintained its momentum to start the second period, as the Spartans were called for tripping just 13 seconds into the period. Superior managed to kill the penalty, but the Warbirds remained in control, keeping the puck in the Spartans' zone and forcing Seifert to make many saves.
At 9:43 in the second period, the game finally started shifting in favor of Superior. Senior Ashley Martin scored from near the blue line with a wrist shot to tie the game at one, assisted by senior Amanda Baker. Less than two minutes remained in the period when Fond du Lac was called for two minor penalties 15 seconds apart, allowing Superior to end the period with a 5-on-3 advantage.
Despite another Warbirds' penalty 24 seconds into the third period, SHS was unable to convert on any of its power plays and the game remained tied at one apiece.
But just more than nine minutes into the final period, Superior took its first lead of the game. Senior Anna Pettingill made the shot for Superior, putting the puck into the upper right corner. Helping on the goal were senior Ashlee Olson and freshman Brittany Locken.
With just a one point Superior lead, however, the game was far from over.
"If you're one goal ahead, it doesn't take much to tie it up," VanDamme said. "We had a couple of opportunities to put that puck away and we didn't."
Fond du Lac, on the other hand, did put the puck away. In rapid succession.
The Warbirds scored three goals within a 36 second stretch of time to claim a 4-2 lead with about six minutes left in the game. Fond du Lac then added another goal against an empty net in the last minute to win, 5-2
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"Two and a half minutes of bad hockey. That's it," VanDamme said. "A 2-1 lead to a 5-2 loss. That's why they say it's the fastest game."
Spartan goalie Seifert ended the game with 26 saves, 15 of which came in the second period. Fond du Lac's Samantha Lakin, meanwhile, finished with 18 saves on the night.
Before Superior's next game, VanDamme said the girls will need to learn from their first loss of the season and make some adjustments.
"We try to turn those negatives into positives; that's the biggest thing. Get rid of those mistakes," VanDamme said. "It's a little bump in the road. We'll get over that."
The Superior girls will next play Proctor-Hermantown-Marshall at Mars Arena at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
