Girls hockey: Willmar falls 5-2 to Alexandria

WILLMAR — The Alexandria girls hockey team bolted to a 3-1 lead after one period and went on to defeat their Central Lakes rival 5-2 on Thursday at the Willmar Civic Center.
Anna Carlsen scored two of the early markers and added an assist in the third period on a goal by Becca Illies for a 4-1 Alex lead.
Miranda Roelofs, from Annie Johnston, temporarily tied the game 1-1. Johnston from Riley Schneider concluded the scoring late in the third.
Willmar goalie Maddie Sandberg faced 41 shots.
“We played a little timid,” said Willmar coach JaColby Anderson. “Against a good team like that you must be more aggressive and make plays happen. We didn’t execute on the forecheck.”
Anderson has had a couple of unusually long days, lately. His wife, the former Jenny Cunningham of Atwater, had their second child on Wednesday, a 9-pound, 3-ounce boy they named Juke.
Willmar is at Brainerd on Tuesday to meet Brainerd/Little Falls in another CLC contest.
Alexandria 5, Willmar 2
Alexandria (8-1-2) 3 1 1 — 5
Willmar (2-7-1, 12-9-1) 1 0 1 — 2
FIRST PERIOD – A: Anna Carlsen (Shelby Iverson, Becca Illies) 5:48, W: Miranda Roelofs (Annie Johnston) 6:03, A: Hanah Hansen (Melissa Drown) 9:19, A: Carlsen (Iverson) 10:05
SECOND PERIOD – A: Madi Houska (Shanee Herd) 11:05
THIRD PERIOD – A: Illies (Carlsen, Nicole Bartels) 10:06, W: Johnston (Riley Schneider) 13:16
GOALIE SAVES – Alexandria: Bailey Serum 24 … Willmar: Madison Sandberg 36