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Majettes hockey drops 3-0 contest

Photos courtesy of Forum News Service Minot High's Olivia Weisberg (3) tries to control the puck during the first round of the NDHSAA state girls hockey tournament Thursday in Fargo.

FARGO — In its first two years as its own program, the Fargo Davies girls hockey team lost twice by one goal in the state tournament quarterfinals. With those memories, the Eagles wanted to make school history.

Kylie Schafer scored two goals and Sydney Peterson recorded a shutout to propel No. 5-seeded Davies to its first North Dakota state tournament semifinals appearance with a 3-0 upset over No. 4 seed Minot on Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Farmers Union Insurance Center in Scheels Arena.

“It was heartbreaking knowing you prepared all season and you didn’t get the outcome you wanted,” said Schafer, the Eagles’ leading scorer and eighth-best scorer in the state going into the game. “We definitely didn’t want to have that repeat three years in a row. We had to try our hardest all the time.”

After the game, in a gesture of achievement and relief, the Davies bench charged the ice and celebrated.

“It’s something the kids wanted to do after a little heartbreak the last two years,” Davies head coach Josh Issertell said. “It’s always nice to do something for the first time.”

Just 1 minute, 37 seconds into the game, Schafer scored on a solo fastbreak with a shot from the right wing which went top shelf past the stick hand of Minot goalie Alexandra Nelson.

The Eagles took advantage of a power play 7:06 into the second period. Katelyn Matter put a shot on goal from the left wing which Nelson deflected, but Annika Mogck pulled the puck out of the ensuing scrum and scored before Nelson could recover.

Minot survived a five-minute penalty when Mackinzy MacIver, who was among the top 15 point scorers in the state going into the game, delivered a crushing hit near her own net and was called for game misconduct for head contact. MacIver, the West Region senior athlete of the year and Miss Hockey candidate, was ejected and can’t play in the consolation semifinals against No. 8-seeded Williston at 5:30 p.m. today.

“We couldn’t get that rhythm we really needed,” Minot head coach Weylin Wahlstrom said. “And then losing Mackinzy for the rest of the game, then we really didn’t have it.”

Shortly after the Majettes survived the penalty, Schafer poked the puck away from Minot, skated past multiple defenders in the offensive zone and scored the dagger on a wrist shot from the slot.

Peterson stood tough against Minot’s 24 quality scoring chances, near 10 minutes of power plays and fast breaks to end the game with zero goals allowed and 28 saves. Nelson totaled 21 saves.

Davies moves on to play top-seeded Bismarck into the uncharted territory of the semifinals at noon today at Scheels Arena. The Eagles lost at Bismarck 6-0 on Dec. 3 and again 5-1 at home in their final regular season game.

“Any team is really beatable as long as you put your mind to it and give it your all,” Schafer said. “I think we can

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