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A depleted Ely hockey team came up empty in four tries at home.
Visiting International Falls blanked the Timberwolves 5-0 in Tuesday’s New Year’s Eve matinee at the Ely Arena, handing the hosts their fourth straight defeat.
All came at home, with the Wolves also losing three times last week during their annual holiday tournament.
Injuries and illness have taken their toll on the Wolves, who are now 3-8, as has a lack of offense.
During the stretch, Ely managed to score only four goals.
Senior netminder Ben Leeson did his best to keep the Wolves close in the first of two regular season clashes with International Falls.
The Broncos peppered the Ely goalie with over 50 shots, and Leeson held them at bay, other than a three-minute stretch in the middle frame when they scored three times.
Forward Andrew Eide had the hat trick for the Broncos (7-2), with two goals coming during the second-period flurry and another in the third.
Zach Youso and Anthony Yevya had the other goals while goalie Caleb Joslyn pitched the shutout with 15 saves.
Leeson had 49 stops for the Wolves.
• The holiday tournament had similar themes, with Ely bedeviled by penalties in the first two contests, while the hosts played close with their opposition for a couple periods in all three contests before fading in the third.
May-Port (N.D.) scored a 7-1 win in the Dec. 26 tournament opener.
The visitors’ Wyatt Heskin had a backbreaker late in the opening period, scoring a shorthanded goal to put the Wolves in an early hole.
Rhett Johnson countered with the equalizer two minutes into the second period, but May-Port countered with three goals in a three-minute stretch late in the period.
The rout was on and the winners added three more tallies in the third.
Heskin had the hat trick and a five-point night, while Cale Gensrich scored twice and Sawyer McGillis added three points to back winning goalie Jack Mattson, who had 30 saves.
Leeson finished with 24 stops for the Wolves and both Hunter Halbakken and Brady Eaton recorded assists.
Penalties were a key factor as Kittson Central beat the Wolves 6-1 on Dec. 27.
The Bearcats had three power-play goals, and Ely was assessed with nine penalties in the contest.
Kittson Central, which went 3-0 to win the tournament, got four points from Wyatt Samuelson including the eventual game-winning goal.
Davis Kaul stopped 28-of-29 Ely shots while teammate Eli Muir had three points.
In goal, Leeson finished with 27 saves.
Ely played a much cleaner game in the Dec. 28 tournament finale, but still fell 5-2 to Moose Lake Area.
Sophomore Sean Merriman had a second-period goal for the Wolves, and Halbakken’s goal on the power play trimmed the gap to 3-2 in the third.
That’s as close as it would get, as the Rebels iced it with two goals in the final three minutes.
Jace Huntbatch and Stig Majerus had assists for Ely, and Leeson finished with 38 saves.
Five separate players scored for the Rebels and goaltender Dylan Slama had 36 saves.
• The Wolves met Bagley- Fosston Friday in their annual home game in Babbitt.
Two road contests follow before a Jan. 17-18 home series against Lake of the Woods and Wadena.
