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Two-thirds of the way through the game, it looked fairly certain that the Worthington Trojans girls hockey team would beat Marshall and win its last regular season home game of the year Monday night.
With a 4-2 lead at the end of the second period, local fans at the Worthington Ice Arena were feeling giddy.
But it all turned to disappointment as the Tigers outscored the Trojans 5-0 in the third period en route to a 7-4 victory. With a win, Worthington would have evened its season record at 7-7.
While the Trojan girls were unable to hold the line against the Tigers, however, the WHS boys were victorious at Fairmont, 5-2. It was a much-needed win, upping the locals’ record to 3-13.
A rundown:
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Girls
Marshall 7, Worthington 4
WORTHINGTON -- After a first period with little real action, the Worthington ice heated up quickly in the second as WHS scored three consecutive goals for a 3-1 lead, then scored again after Marshall came within a point at 3-2.
Senior forward Ashton Fogelman scored Worthington’s first goal with 10:56 showing in the second period, then teammate Riley Nickel scored at 7:33 by taking a feed from Cadence Van Ede just a few feet in front of the Marshall net. Kessie Aljets scored the third Worthington goal by stealing the puck near center ice and skating with it for a tally.
After Marshall’s Kaitlyn Timm responded for Marshall, Nickel scored her second goal of the game with just 48 seconds remaining in the period.
The third period, however, was all Marshall. Timm scored her third goal of the game to start things off, then Shelby Ormberg, Ormberg again, Tessa Gannott and Regan Loft scored, too. Ormberg’s first goal with 10:26 showing on the game clock tied the score at 4-4, and the Trojans could not answer back.
In that third period, Marshall out-shot Worthington 11-1.
Penalty problems hurt the Trojans. Two of the Tigers’ third period goals came on power plays.
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“It would have been a great feeling to win your last regular season home game. It was in their grips, and it slipped away,” said Trojans head coach Chad Nickel. “Probably the best game they played all year was in the second period. We were winning the races to the loose pucks, and we were connecting our passes.”
He added, “Marshall tied it up, and they just got us back on our heels. And our girls couldn’t get their own momentum back.”
The win moved Marshall to 8-6.
Marshall 0 2 5 -- 7
Worthington 0 4 0 -- 4
Boys
Worthington 5, Fairmont 2
FAIRMONT -- Alec Langerud scored two goals for the Trojans. Logan Powers, Blake Luinenburg and Konner Honius each scored once.
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Riley Woodbury had two assists. Andrew Benson, Blake Ahrenstorff, Luinenburg and Honius each had one.
“It definitely wasn’t our prettiest game, but we kind of made the shots when we needed to,” said Worthington head coach Tyler Nienkerk.
For the game, Fairmont out-shot the Trojans 41-38.
“We had a lot of pressure on ‘em, a lot of zone time. At the end of the day it was good. It was good to get a win,” Nienkerk said.
Worthington 2 2 1 -- 5
Fairmont 1 1 0 -- 2
