After a slow start in the majority of their first five games of the season, the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys hockey team came out flying on Friday night en route to a 3-1 road win over White Bear Lake.
"The guys were flying right off the bus," commented CEC coach Dave Esse. "We had some team meetings where we talked about the need to be prepared mentally and physically and the guys just flew off the bus."
CEC so thoroughly outplayed the Bears in the first period that only a superhuman effort by goaltender Owen Collette kept the game close.
"Their goalie had to play extremely well in that first period," mentioned Esse. "We could have been up by four or five goals if he hadn't played as well as he did."
The line of Riley Roe, Ryan Defoe and Sever Lundquist teamed up for the first goal at 5:51 of the first period with Roe slamming the puck in for a 1-0 Jacks lead.
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"It was a great team effort," said Esse. "We back checked really well and we were very, very disciplined."
In the second period CEC got a goal from Justin Jokinen at 8:04 with Jake Rychlak assisting, and then Tyler Johnson recorded a power-play goal at 15:18 of the same period with Victor Karlsson and Austin Hatch picking up assists.
CEC would need all the discipline they could muster in the third period when they were called for a series of penalties that put them in man-short situations, but a strong penalty kill and stellar goaltending by Reid Ellingson helped to stave off the Bears.
"We just kept rolling three lines and five defensemen," Esse remarked. "I am trying to make sure we have plenty of guys ready come February. We will need everyone and we are playing for February and not Christmas."
Officially the Jacks attempted 66 shots with 32 hitting the White Bear net, while Ellingson made 19 saves on 20 shots for the Bears.
"Reid made at least four great saves," recalled Esse. "I just thought we set the tempo for most of the game."
Taylor Johnson of White Bear Lake scored the Bears only goal at 7:59 of the final period with Matt Harmann picking up the lone assist.
With the win the Jacks record improved to 6-0.
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Pine Journal sports reporter Kerry Rodd can be contacted at: kdrodd@aol.com .
