BENSON -- Chelsey Wierschem scored twice and Abby Schueller stopped 16 shots for the shutout as Willmar opened the season with a 5-0 win over Morris/Benson Area at the Benson Civic Center Tuesday.
Twenty-two penalties were called by the two-man officiating crew. New guidelines stipulate hooking, holding and obstruction will not be tolerated in an effort to put a premium on skating and stick handling.
It was also the first career varsity win for Cardinals' head coach Rick Dahle, who takes over the program from Ross Dahl, who resigned after last season, but remains an assistant.
Willmar attacked the young MBA squad from the first face-off. Wierschem and linemates Allie Sweep and Ali Sing started a siege that would last all night.
Hannah Horecka, the Storm goalie, was up to the challenge. She would stop 40 of 45 shots on net before the final horn.
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Wierschem scored from 15 feet out front, assisted by Sing, in the first period and added an unassisted wrap-around goal in the third.
Erin Sheehan, on a solo effort coming off the boards, made it 2-0 in the second frame and Kelsey Swanson tallied on a feed from Sam Sing for a 3-0 lead.
Ashley Hutton, perhaps the fastest skater on the ice, finished up the scoring in the third period.
Schueller stopped all 16 shots she saw and was awarded the game puck by her teammates. The senior netminder was playing her first game in two years.
MBA, which went 14-8 last year, has only two seniors on a varsity roster with five eighth-graders and three freshmen.
"I think we have a nice skating team with fast forwards," Dahle said. "We had excellent play in our defensive zone. At the end, everyone was intent on maintaining the shutout for Abby."
The Storm won the first-ever JV game for both programs, 3-2.
Willmar 5, Morris/Benson 0
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Willmar (1-0) 1 2 2 -- 5
Morris/Benson Area (0-1) 0 0 0 -- 0
FIRST PERIOD - Wil: Chelsey Wierschem (Ali Sing) 7:40
SECOND PERIOD - Wil: Erin Sheehan (un asssisted) rest of times not availabe ... Wil: Kelsey Swanson (Sam Sing)
THIRD PERIOD - Wil: Wierschem (unassisted) ... Wil: Ashley Hutton (Emily Kack)
Goalie saves - Willmar: Abby Schueller 16; Morris/Benson Area: Hannah Horecka 40
