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Ely’s high school hockey team needed a strong start Saturday at Moose Lake.
Instead, it was the host Rebels who came out ablaze, scoring three times in a four-minute span in the opening period of the Section 7A play-in round game.
That proved to be the difference as Moose Lake Area downed the Wolves 4-1 and moved on in the tournament.
The eighth-seeded Rebels won for the fourth time in as many tries against number-nine Ely, which was out to reverse that trend and pull the upset.
But instead it was Moose Lake advancing to meet number-one Cloquet- Esko-Carlton in the 7A quarterfinals while the Wolves finished 5-18, including 13 losses in their final 15 contests.
One of those defeats was a 3-2 nail-biter with the Rebels just eight days before the playoff encounter.
The postseason battle at Moose Lake’s chilly arena started evenly, and both teams had scoring chances in the first 10 minutes.
It was the Rebels who broke through, with Chase Klavu poking the puck past Ely netminder Ben Leeson for a 1-0 lead at the 11-minute mark.
Just 14 seconds later came the backbreaker, as Joe Olson went up high to make it 2-0.
Chase Klavu added a third goal with 1:35 left in the period and the Wolves, who showed little firepower throughout the season, faced an uphill climb with a three-goal deficit.
Ely ate into that gap early in the second period when Owen Marolt’s shot from the right slot found the back of the net.
The Wolves couldn’t cash in on a couple of chances to make it a one-goal game, and the Rebels’ Brayden Strand scored on the power pay with 5:11 left in the period to make it 4-1.
Ely never mounted a serious challenge the rest of the way, and winning goaltender Eli Gilbertson kept the guest at bay. He finished with 40 saves.
Leeson wound up with 37 saves for the Wolves and junior Rhett Johnson assisted on Ely’s only goal.
Klavu was in on the Rebels’ scoring throughout the day, finishing with two goals and two assists.
Olson had a two-point day and both Dresel and Ty Oswald had assists.
Coach Jake Myers and the Wolves will say farewell to six seniors: Leeson, Jon Schlosser, Jace Huntbatch, Garrett Rohr, Alex Merriman and Brady Eaton.
