WarHawks take loss in shootout

WILLMAR-The Willmar WarHawks fought back to force an overtime period but fell 3-2 to Breezy Point in a shootout at the Willmar Civic Center Friday night.

Both teams were held scoreless in the extra session but Breezy Point's Austin Langworthy and Ryan Higgins converted their shootout attempts while goalie Bronson Moore kept the WarHawks off the board to earn the shootout victory.

"The way we responded effort-wise was good," Blaisuis said. "It's getting to the point, though, where we need results. We need to start winning games because we're losing ground. Tonight's game was encouraging but we need to win."

The WarHawks were forced to play plenty of pucks out of their own defensive zone but did so successfully until the end of the period when Breezy Point's Ryan Higgins picked up a rebound and shot it over the shoulder of Willmar goaltender Alexander Cathcart for a power play goal to make it 1-0.

"We were just undisciplined and we over committed on that play," said Willmar head coach Chris Blaisuis. "We played strong defensively in that first period but they just got us there."

Willmar tied it up in the second, though, with an Alec Skar shot that whizzed past a slew of players including Moore.

The North Stars took the lead again before the period was out, though, beating Cathcart with a shot from Alex Flicek 14:17 into the period.

The WarHawks made sure to earn a point, though. Skar, who was in his first full weekend back after missing time with a concussion, tied the game 5:26 into the third with a power play effort to force overtime.

Blaisuis said he's happy his team earned a point in a bounce-back effort from last weekend's 11-2 drubbing to New Ulm but points out that his team, currently fifth in the West Division standings and 10 points out of a playoff spot, needs to start winning games.

The WarHawks will try to do just that with a visit to Breezy Point today to round out the home-and-home series.

Breezy Point 3, Willmar 2 SO

Breezy Pt. 1 1 0 0 - 2

Willmar 0 1 1 0 - 2

FIRST PERIOD - BP: Ryan Higgins (Nick Blanchette, Christian Lenzmeier) 16:57 pp

SECOND PERIOD - W: Alec Skar (Riley Tigrett, Jacob Dobberstein) 9:58 ... BP: Alex Flicek (Tristyn Sabina, Josh Laven) 14:17

THIRD PERIOD - W: Skar (Kyle Wendorf, Dylan Gast) 5:26 pp

OVERTIME - No goals scored

SHOOTOUT - BP: Austin Langworthy ... BP: Ryan Higgins

GOALIE SAVES - Breezy Point: Bronson Moore 41 ... Willmar: Alexander Cathcart 30

1/4: Willmar WarHawks defenseman Nathan Ackerman shoots the puck from the blue line during the first period of Friday night's game against Breezy Point. Jake Schultz / Tribune

2/4: Willmar WarHawk forward Bailey Emery shoots a puck on net as a Breezy Point North Star pokes a stick towards the shot Friday night at the Willmar Civic Center. Jake Schultz / Tribune

3/4: WarHawk winger Kane Toriumi chases a puck after evading a Breezy Point defender Friday night in the Willmar Civic Center. Jake Schultz / Tribune

4/4: Willmar WarHawk Bailey Emery chips a puck past a Breezy Point defender Friday night at the Willmar Civic Center. Jake Schultz / Tribune