MOORHEAD-About three weeks ago, Moorhead's boys hockey team was an afterthought in Class 2A, Section 8. History class was over and 15 straight trips to the section championship game was about to meet its end for the Spuds.
At that point, it was questionable if the Spuds would even get a home playoff game, let alone being in the conversation for a section championship. The title was going to either Brainerd or Bemidji.
"It was just quiet," Moorhead left winger Zach Boutain said of the locker room after the loss to Brainerd on Dec. 22. "Everyone was mad. Everyone was disappointed. Normally, we don't lose to Brainerd. That sparked us as a team. As soon as we started losing, we looked at the section and we weren't even in the conversation. Other people and other towns said Moorhead is falling. That sparked everyone."
Thursday the Spuds yelled their way back into the conversation, knocking off No. 19 Brainerd 3-2 two days after topping No. 11 Bemidji in overtime. The Spuds had lost to both teams earlier in the season.
"The team came together and we found a way to work as a team and play for each other and commit to details," Boutain said. "We found a way."
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It was impossible not to hear the scream of Boutain when he snuck a goal over the right shoulder of Brainerd goalie Brady Mick with 5 minutes, 3 seconds remaining in the game to give the Spuds a two-goal cushion.
"We're finding ways to win now," Boutain said. "Great week. 2-0 in section play and beat Bemidji, which we were a big underdog. That's a huge win. We just beat Brainerd, so now we're going to keep rolling with it and bringing it into playoffs."
The Spuds (9-7) struck first when Jacob Holtgrewe fired on net from the point and Carter Randklev and Cole O'Connell were there to whack at the rebound. O'Connell finally stuffed it home and Moorhead took a 1-0 lead with 1:33 left in the first.
Nolan Westra's first career varsity goal came with 6:19 remaining in the second on a backhander to put the Spuds up 2-0.
"It was an amazing feeling. Something I've always been dreaming of my whole entire life," Westra said. "Guys are starting to put in their work and we're starting to believe that we can do this and make it to state."
Matt Fischer got Brainerd (8-5-1) on the board with a power-play goal just 63 seconds into the third, but Boutain pushed it back to 3-1. Gavin Andres scored a goal at the buzzer with Brainerd (8-5-1) having the extra attacker.
The win came for Moorhead without one of its best players in top-line, right winger Jack Stensgard.
"It was a good two games, but our job isn't done yet," Moorhead coach Jon Ammerman said. "I do think our schedule does a really good job of preparing us for the second half of the season. We have a lot of guys competing for spots. Not only does it raise the intensity level in practice, but when a guy gets hurt we have guys that we can plug in the lineup and we're confident in their skills."
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FIRST PERIOD: 1, M, O'Connell (Randklev), 15:27.
SECOND PERIOD: 2, M, Westra (O'Connor, Randklev), 10:41.
THIRD PERIOD: 3, B, Fischer (Andres, Howieson), 1:03, pp. 4, M, Boutain (O'Connor, Howell), 11:57. 5, B, G. Andres (Evans, M. Andres), 17:00, extra attacker.
SAVES: B, Mick 9-9-9-27. M, Leonard 7-5-9-21
