Alex Eisen/MDN Majettes forward Shante Rust (right) skates over to hug Alyssa Enns (left) after Enns scores a goal in the second period against Williston Saturday evening at Maysa Arena.

Stamina control and recouping energy were more of a challenge than scoring goals in the first period for the Minot High School girls hockey team.

The Majettes, playing with 10 skaters and goaltender Amber Borkhuis in the opening period, buried three goals early on to set the tone.

When reinforcements arrived, Minot High (5-4-0, 3-4-0 N.D. League) kept piling on for a 7-0 win over winless Williston (0-11-0, 0-9-0 N.D. League) Saturday evening in a non-counter exhibition contest at Maysa Arena.

MHS started with a depleted bench because some of the regulars sat out and rested from the stands after playing in a junior varsity game against Mandan two hours prior.

“At the start of the game, we were fine,” MHS head coach Weylin Wahlstrom said. “It was our two varsity lines, and they carry most of our ice time anyways. It actually helped us get into a rhythm.”

The Majettes poached three goals from close range in the first period.

Cleaning up the scraps at the net were Alyssa Aguirre, Carson Abrahamson and Paige Ackerman.

“After that it, it was business as usual,” Wahlstrom said about the lines. “Some of the girls even said that sitting up in the stands gave them a chance to see some things from a different perspective.”

Picking up four more skaters to start the second period, the Majettes took advantage and scored another goal when Williston went down a skater.

Abrahamson riffled in her second goal of the game on a power play with 13:29 left in the period.

Just under three minutes later, O’Malley Eslinger joined the goal scoring party with a redirect in front for her fifth goal of the season, giving Minot a 5-0 lead.

Eslinger also picked up three assists in the contest.

Sophomore defender Alyssa Enns put the finishing touches on a second three-goal period for the Majettes with another power play tally.

A running clock made for a quick third period.

Minot netted its final goal shorthanded by Ackerman on a near post wrist shot, 7-0.

Borkhuis stopped 13 shots for her first shutout of the season.

“The team kept it out of our zone a lot, so that helped,” Borkhuis said. “I just kept thinking about (the shutout) and I was like, ‘Oh jeez, oh jeez, there is a minute left. OK, just focus.'”

Seven goals are the most the Majettes have scored in a game this season. It proved to be a nice safety blanket for Borkhuis.

“She played really well and made some big saves,” Wahlstrom said about Borkhuis. “She earned that shutout. It’s good to see her have success midway through the season.”

Minot High heads to Fargo next weekend to face West Fargo United on Friday (Jan. 4 at 7 p.m.) and league leaders Fargo North/South on Saturday (Jan. 5 at 12:30 p.m.).

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