The Mitchell Marlins hockey teams encountered significant challenges over the weekend, with both the girls and boys squads facing formidable opponents. The girls opened their series at the Mitchell Activities Center on Saturday, February 10, 2024, suffering a 3-0 defeat against Sioux Falls. They continued their tough competition on Sunday, falling 5-1 to the Brookings Rangers. Meanwhile, the boys team also struggled, enduring an 8-1 loss to Yankton on Friday, followed by a 6-0 setback against the Sioux Falls Flyers East on Saturday.
The Marlin girls faced a daunting task against the Sioux Falls Flyers, who hold a strong record of 15-1. Mitchell was outshot significantly, with the Flyers registering 46 shots compared to the Marlins’ 10. Sioux Falls took an early lead, scoring two goals in the first period after outshooting Mitchell 15-2 in the opening 17 minutes. Raegan Pfeifer led the Flyers, scoring two goals, while Marlins’ goalie Kaylie O’Connor made an impressive 43 saves throughout the match.
In their next game against Brookings, who are currently 16-2, the Marlins struggled again. They were nearly doubled in shot attempts, with the final count at 41-24. Brookings scored five consecutive goals before Taylor Sorben netted the only goal for Mitchell, assisted by MaKenna Tronnes, with just 50 seconds left in the third period. O’Connor continued her strong performance in goal, recording 36 saves.
On the boys side, the Marlins faced an uphill battle against Yankton, who hold a record of 11-2-1. Yankton scored the first three goals of the match before Caden Schuldt managed to find the net for Mitchell in the middle of the third period, assisted by Connor Degen. Unfortunately for the Marlins, the Bucks added five more goals to secure an overwhelming victory, with a total of 61 shots attempted against Mitchell’s 15. Gavin Polreis showcased his skills as a goalie, making 53 saves during the match.
The following day, the boys faced the Sioux Falls Flyers East, a team currently holding a record of 12-3-0. The Marlins were outshot 76-8 for the game, as Sioux Falls scored six unanswered goals. Despite the heavy loss, Polreis had an outstanding performance in goal, achieving 70 saves.
Looking ahead, the Marlin boys (5-11-1) will travel for three upcoming matchups, starting with a game against Oahe on Friday, February 13, 2024, in Fort Pierre. They will then face Rushmore in two games over the weekend in Rapid City. The Marlin girls (6-13-0) will have a break until February 21, when they will host Sioux Center, followed by a match against Brookings on February 22, as they aim to close out the regular season on a high note.
