HALLOCK— Times may be changing for the long hapless Timberwolves hockey team. The Wolves came away from a season-opening weekend road trip here with back-to-back wins over Kittson County Central thanks to an effective offensive attack and solid defense.
Ely took the Friday night tilt 6-2 on the strength of a hat trick by senior Drew Marolt along with two goals by fellow senior Deegan Richards.
Junior Garrett Rohr opened the scoring for the Wolves early in the first period with assists from Jace Huntbach and Ty Walker. Richards put his first puck in the net at the 7:19 mark in the second period with an assist from Rohr, but Kittson County struck back 58 seconds later to narrow the margin to 2-1. Marolt put Ely up 3-1 at the 11:29 mark of the stanza, with assists from Richards and Jayden Zemke. Richards notched an unassisted goal late in the period to put the Wolves up 4-1.
Marolt went on to add two insurance goals in the third period, with assists from Richards, Walker, and Sean Merriman. Kittson added a late goal but it was too little too late.
“Our forecheck was really productive,” noted Ely Head Coach Jake Myers. “We got a lot of pucks to the net and it paid off for us in the end.”
The Wolves outshot Kittson 54-20 on the night. Timberwolves goalie Ben Leeson turned away 18 shots.
It was largely rinse and repeat for the Wolves in Saturday’s contest, as the Wolves came out ready to rumble, notching four goals in the first period to take a 4-1 lead. Marolt tripped the buzzer at the 2:44 mark with an assist from Richards and Walker. Senior Chase Anderson scored nine minutes later on the power play, with the assist going to Alex Merriman. Marolt was back for his second goal of the period at the 14:25 mark, again on the power play with an assist from Zemke. Rohr punched the net two minutes later with an assist from Marolt and Mason Kurnava.
Kittson added their lone goal of the contest at the 10:09 mark.
Ely’s Brady Eaton scored unassisted at the 13-minute mark in the second period, which was the final goal of the night for either team, leaving Ely on top 5-1.
Ely, again, outshot Kittson 56-21, while Leeson was nearly flawless at the net, with 20 saves.
The Wolves were set to host Mora on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1 and 2. They’ll visit Silver Bay next Tuesday and will be in Ashland, Wis. on Thursday.