Red Wing girls’ hockey gets revenge in 5-1 win over Albert Lea on Tiger Senior Night
HIGHLIGHTS: Red Wing girls’ hockey defeats Albert Lea, 5-1
POSTGAME INTERVIEW: Albert Lea Head Coach Mark Goskeson
Tuesday night, the Albert Lea girls’ hockey team hosted Red Wing at Albert Lea City Arena in its last home game of the season. The Wingers spoiled the Tigers’ Senior Night with a 5-1 victory, led by four goals from junior Eliza DiNatale.
After a slow start to the first period, Red Wing’s DiNatale scored her first goal of the night at 7:07 in the first period. When a puck pushed against the left side boards leaked out into the center of the ice, she fired a shot past Albert Lea’s Maddie Schneider to put the first tally of the day on the scoreboard. Less than two minutes later, DiNatale scored her second goal on a breakaway chance. She picked up the puck at her own blue line, sped past every Tiger trying to make the quick retreat on defense and slapped in another goal on the left side.
Albert Lea’s only goal of the game came later in the first period. Red Wing appeared to take over possession in its own zone and started forward in transition, but Mia Fjelsta intercepted a forward pass and only had to beat Red Wing goalie Hailey Ehlers for her 24th goal of the season. The Tigers didn’t score again, but the Winger’s DiNatale was far from finished.
Red Wing effectively closed the door on the game in the second period after a pair of goals Albert Lea could have avoided. DiNatale got to a hat trick with her third goal of the game less than four minutes into the second, when a shot into the upper right corner deflected off the glove of Schneider and into the Albert Lea net. Later, Tatum Zylka scored on a shot which she intended to be a pass. A center from the right side deflected off an Albert Lea skate and snuck past Schneider to expand Red Wing’s lead to 4-1 after two.
DiNatale scored her fourth and arguably most impressive goal of the night in the third period. She went into the Albert Lea zone on a one-on-two, held the puck to her right and then shot across her body to beat Schneider in the upper left corner. DiNatale’s four goals for the day brought her season total to 29; no other Winger has more than seven.
Albert Lea fell to 10-14 with the loss, while Red Wing improved to 9-13-1. The Tigers end the regular season Thursday with a trip to Mankato to face off against the Cougars of Mankato East.
Posted: Nate Dickinson
