ELY – The Timberwolves hit the ice here last Saturday, but struggled to put the puck in the net, ultimately losing 7-2 to the Moose Lake Area Rebels. It was the first action for Ely’s hockey team in nearly two weeks due to pandemic-related cancellations by opponents.
Ely, which has struggled all season, fell behind 3-0 after the first period on the Rebels’ 13 shots to the net, tended by sophomore goalie Ben Cavalier. Ely recorded five shots on goal in the first stanza, and 15 scoring chances overall. Moose Lake Area peppered Cavalier with 29 shots.
Ely scored two goals in the second period, one by Cole Macho, who scored with an assist by Jakson Hegman, and the other by freshman Drew Marolt, who scored his first goal ever as a varsity player.
The Rebels tallied four more goals in the second frame to put the game largely out of reach. Both teams were held scoreless in the third period with Cavalier turning away three shots on goal.
A disciplined Ely team was called for just one penalty, two minutes for slashing by Jimmy Zupancich in the first period. Moose Lake had 21 minutes in the sin bin on five penalties, minor flags for interference, slashing and holding, and two major penalties in the third period, both by freshman forward Dawson Fjosne for checking from behind along with a misconduct.
“We have a pretty young team this year, and I sense some of our younger players have a bit of anxiety as they go up against players who are older, stronger and faster,” said Head Coach Ben Johnson. “After they scored those two goals, they loosened up a bit and started playing with more confidence. No matter what happens this year on the scoreboard, we are having a good learning season and these guys are all playing tough and learning to play as a team. It is impressive to see them grow.”
The Timberwolves were scheduled to travel to Duluth Marshall on Tuesday. Ely hosts two home games, Mora on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m., and Bagley at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19, before traveling to Chetek, Wis., on Feb. 20.