Marlin girls' hockey team falls, ties to Rushmore

RAPID CITY — In the final two games of the three game series, the Marlin girls’ varsity hockey team suffered a 4-3 loss Saturday and tied 2-2 Sunday against the Rushmore Thunder.

The Marlins dropped to 1-2 in league play.

Mitchell head coach Randy Rezac said he was pleased with the effort of his team this weekend.

“We outshot Rushmore 124-70 over the weekend,” he said. “We put a lot of good shots on the net, but we need to work on follow-up shots and getting good rebounds.”

In Saturday’s game, the Marlins were outshot 48-31 and goalie Hannah Spates made 27 saves.

The Thunder went up 2-0 before the Marlins tied the game with two goals of their own. Kylie Barington scored the first goal and Haley Stahl had the assist. Stahl scored the second Marlin goal.

At the tie, the Thunder scored two unanswered goals, going ahead 4-2. Mitchell’s Alexandra Jones brought the Marlins within one with a goal in the second period. Kassi Barington had the assist, but the comeback was cut short, giving Rushmore the 4-3 win.

In the final game of the series, Rushmore scored the first goal early in the opening period. The Marlins leveled the score in the second period with a goal by Cassidy Stucky.

The Thunder went ahead once again, but Kylie Barington tied the game 2-2 with a late goal in the third period. After a scoreless overtime period, the game was called in a tie.

Spates made 16 saves in the game.

“We’re really proud of the way they played,” Rezac said. “We’re seeing the payoff from practices.”

The Marlins host Brookings in their home opening 4 p.m. Saturday at the Mitchell Activities Center.

Tags: sports, updates, mitchell, hockey, girls, marlins