MONTICELLO -- Just over 20 minutes into their season-opening girls hockey game, the Willmar Cardinals had just tied North Wright County.
The rest of the night belonged to the River Hawks, who scored eight more goals to beat Willmar 9-1 Tuesday.
The only goal scored in the first period was by North Wright County's Amy Childress. Becca Freese scored the Cardinals' goal, unassisted, 3:14 into the second period.
North Wright County (2-0), which opened its season last Friday with a 3-2 win over the St. Cloud Icebreakers, scored three goals in a span of 1:31 for a 4-1 lead, then topped it off with another to end the period with a 5-1 lead.
"We had a great first period, but the second period they got a couple of luck bounces and it went downhill from there," said Willmar coach Chad Akerson, who made his girls hockey coaching debut Tuesday.
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Aside from Freese's goal, the Cardinals didn't have many scoring chances, being held to 10 shots on goal. North Wright County had 27 shots on goal.
Willmar goalie Baylie Young made 15 stops through two periods. Maddi Sandberg replaced her in the third period.
Willmar (0-1) hosts the St. Cloud Icebreakers in a Central Lakes Conference game Friday in its home opener at the Civic Center.
N. Wright County 9, Willmar 1
Willmar................................0 1 0 -- 1
North WC............................1 4 4 -- 9
FIRST PERIOD - NWC: Amy Childress (Kasey Blomberg, Ashley McDonald) 4:20
SECOND PERIOD - Wil: Becca Freese (unassisted) 3:14 ... NWC: Blomberg (McDonald) 10:22 ... NWC: Dani Sibley (Emma Young) 11:13 ... NWC: Blomberg (unassisted) 11:53 ... NWC: Allie Olson (Young) 15:36
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THIRD PERIOD - NWC: Blomberg (Childress, Kara Foster) 3:28 ... NWC: McDonald (unassisted) 5:30 ... NWC: Sibley (Young) 10:30 ... NWC: Maddi Sjelin (Rachel Heiber, Halie Gudmonson) 16:50
GOALIE SAVES - Willmar: Baylie Young 7-8-*-15; Maddi Sandberg *-*-3-3 ... North Wright County: Amanda Koep 1-4-4-9
