Storey hat trick sparks WHS hockey girls past Worthington

The Waseca High School girls’ hockey team continued a six-game home stand last week. After losing a 3-1 contest to New Ulm Friday, Jan. 6, they shut out Worthington the following day.

New Ulm 3, Waseca 1

New Ulm and Luverne are currently neck and neck in the Big South Conference title race. A win for the Eagles would put them within striking distance of Luverne. A win for Waseca meant a chance to take second in the conference.

The Eagles started the first period with two goals. Montanna Pumper of the Bluejays responded with her first goal of the season, making the score 2-1 after the first.

Aside from another New Ulm goal 9:33 into the second, the rest of the game was silent. Waseca placed 21 shots in the net throughout the game, but Pumper’s lone shot was the only one that got through.

On the other side, goaltender Ilamay Draheim faced 42 shots, saving 39 of them for a .929 save percentage. 

Waseca 5, Worthington 0

After a frustrating loss, Waseca started off the Worthington game right. After a quiet nine minutes, Maizee Storey made a slick wrist shot to get the opening goal. Less than three minutes later, freshman Maddy Benson scored the team’s second on a breakaway.

In the second period, Storey had two more goals for her first hat trick of the season. Benson assisted her on the second goal while McKenna Mortensen helped her on the third. Katlyn Schueler supplied the fifth goal of the game with assistance from junior Izabela Slechta.

It was a scoreless third period.

Draheim had a much easier day, denying all 14 shots that came her way for the shutout.

Waseca continued its home stand by hosting Austin Tuesday, Jan. 10. The Bluejays host Red Wing the following Monday.