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Majettes hockey strives to snap state tourney first round losing streak

Alex Eisen/MDN Minot High senior captain MacKinzy MacIver (8) takes the puck out from behind the net in a girls hockey game played against West Fargo at Maysa Arena earlier this season.

Today marks exactly 11 years since the Minot High School girls hockey team has gotten out of the first round of the state tournament. Those around the program are aware of this dark cloud that has been hanging above them and has grown in size over the years.

“We haven’t had the most success, obviously, in the first round in a long time and everybody knows it,” MHS assistant coach Jason Steele said. “Hopefully our seniors and our returning players have a bitter taste in their mouths from last year and from the year’s past that they have been in the state tournament.”

A 3-2 overtime win over Fargo South on Feb. 23, 2006 marks the last opening round victory for the Majettes. Since then, they have lost 10 straight quarterfinal appearances at the state tournament.

Yet, all those misfortunes could be wiped away today, as No. 4-seeded Minot High takes on No. 5-seeded Fargo Davies in the first round of the state tournament at 1 p.m. this afternoon at the Farmers Union Insurance Center in Fargo.

If the long losing streak can spark a fire in the Majettes, then that’s just one extra thing they can use to their advantage.

“At this point in the season, you are searching for so many motivators,” Steele said. “That’s one of them. That they are down to two, maybe three, games left in their high school careers for these seniors is another one. So many motivators that we are looking for. And hopefully we have kind of adapted the idea throughout the entire season that this is just another game. Go out, compete and play as hard as you can. Follow the game plan and hopefully everything takes care of itself.”

The Majettes were led scoring wise during the regular season by freshman forward Dessa Flom with 20 goals, and she also added six assists. Flom was named to the West Region All-Conference Team alongside teammates senior forward MacKinzy MacIver, senior forward Bryanna Bergeron and sophomore defender Madie Olson.

MacIver, tied for the most goals (15) in the state as a senior with Bismarck High’s Rose Gasper, earned the honor of being the West Region Senior Athlete of the Year.

At the start of the season, MacIver made it clear getting out of the first round was the goal for her senior season. Now here the Majettes are, one win away, with the possibility of achieving something these girls on the roster have never accomplished before.

“It’s been our goal for the longest time ever,” MacIver said. “But this year I think it’s going to be different. I mean we have a lot of momentum going into state from beating West Fargo and winning at Mandan.

“Ever since I have been on the team, it’s just been a goal. This year we’ve achieved new things like beating West Fargo (for the first time in program history). So, I think it can happen.”

Next to MacIver on the top line, Bergeron racked up 13 goals and 13 assists to tie Flom for the most points on the team. This will be Bergeron’s fifth state tournament appearance.

“It would be huge. I’ve never won a first round game,” she said. “Being my senior year, it would probably be my best year to do it. It would be a good way to go out of my hockey career.”

Standing in Minot High’s way are Fargo Davies. The Majettes split with the Eagles in the regular season with a 2-1 win at home on Dec. 10 and a 5-2 defeat in Fargo on Jan. 28.

“Davies is kind of a dump-and-chase team from what we have seen,” Steele said. “They like to trap you on the wall and in the neutral zone. They want to try to make you make mistakes in your end or in the neutral zone. After they do that, they have the talent to put the puck in the net.”

Puck possession will be key, as the Majettes will have to keep their heads on a swivel and make crisp passes. Steele also mentioned the need to play a clean game defensively and keeping the Eagles’ shot attempts from the outside.

MHS junior goaltender Alex Nelson, with an 89.5 season save percentage and a 2.90 goals against average, nearly had a 19-save shutout the first time these two teams met. However, Fargo Davies’ Emily Anderson scored with four seconds remaining in regulation.

It’s a letdown from a couple of months ago, but Bergeron still remembers.

“We have to play until the buzzer goes,” she said. “Because they scored with a couple seconds left. So, we have to play the full game and work hard. We beat them once already this year, so we know what we have to do.”

If the Majettes can end the decade — and then some — drought of first round defeats, then they will the face the winner between the No. 1-seeded Bismarck Blizzard and the No. 8-seeded Dickinson in the semifinals at noon Friday at the Scheels Arena.

An 11th straight loss, however, would mean a familiar trip to the consolation side of the bracket.

Alex Eisen covers Minot High School, Minot State athletics and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.

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