.jpg)
Ely’s high school hockey team had its moments but couldn’t put together enough sustained consistency in a pair of season-opening matchups.
Both were losses as the Timberwolves fell 5-2, at Two Harbors, to host North Shore on Tuesday evening.
Three days earlier, Moose Lake Area came to the Ely Arena and started fast en route to a 7-2 victory.
Each contest had stretches where the new-look Wolves played well.
Retooling after many losses to graduation, the Wolves outshot Moose Lake Area on Saturday and put together a strong first period against North Shore.
Sophomore Owen Marolt’s third-period goal also brought Ely to within one goal, at 3-2, with just over six minutes to play.
But that was as close as it would get as North Shore held the Wolves to just four shots on goal over the final two frames and added two insurance goals to put things away.
Kade Norman had the hat trick for North Shore, and his last goal of the night came with 5:13 left and put the Storm ahead 4-2.
Cooper Anderson iced things with assists from Nox Peterson and Reese Radke with 47 seconds left.
Winning goaltender Dax Krech turned away 18 shots but was barely tested in the final two periods, while Ely netminder Ben Leeson recorded 28 saves in the defeat.
Brady Eaton’s power play goal, aided by fellow senior Alex Merriman got Ely on the board midway through the second period and cut the Storm’s edge to 2-1.
North Shore responded with Norman’s second goal of the night with just over a minute to play.
Ely managed 16 shots on goal in the first period but never got on the board, with Norman’s opening goal coming with 3:34 left to start the scoring.
Norman finished with three goals and an assist for the winners, while Peterson had two assists.
Ayden Althaus scored on goal and had an assist.
Both Merriman and junior Rhett Johnson assisted for the Wolves, who tangle with Mora this weekend in a two-game set in central Minnesota.
The Wolves host International Falls at 6 p.m. Tuesday, at the Ely Arena.
Moose Lake Area 7, Wolves 2
The Rebels’ Ethan Dresek scored six seconds into a first-period power play, and the visitors added four more scores in the next 20 minutes of play to take control of the first of three contests between the two Section 7A rival.
Chase Klavu scored two of those goals and he added three assists for the afternoon as MLA took a 3-0 lead after one period and jumped to a 5-0 advantage midway through the second.
Ely got 40 shots on goal, but finally broke through against winning goalie Eli Gilbertson late in the second frame as sophomore Stig Majerus scored with assists from Johnson and Marolt.
Ely’s only other goal came in the final period as Marolt scored with an assist from senior Jace Huntbatch.
Brayden Strand was the big point-scorer for the Rebels, getting four assists to go with his two goals.
Klavu had a five-point game and Joe Olson wound up with two goals and two assists.
Gilbertson recorded 38 saves and Ely’s Leeson finished with 17.
