Short-handed Blue Jays boost record to 5-1

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The fast start to the season for the Blue Jays continued thanks to a flurry at the end Saturday.

Jamestown High School pushed its record to 5-1 with three goals in the third period, including the game-winner from Steph Kamlitz with 45 seconds left in regulation.

The three-goal final frame was particularly impressive considering it was their sixth period in less than 48 hours and they did so with just 10 skaters.

“If you told me we’d be 5-1 right now, I wouldn’t have believed it. … 4-2 at best, realistically 3-3, but these girls keep doing this so I can’t call it a fluke,” JHS coach Brad Schaack said. “We didn’t play particularly well. We made a lot of mental mistakes and were kind of sloppy, but we’ll take an ugly win over a pretty loss any day.”

The Coyotes led 3-2 after getting the first goal of the third period, but JHS senior Amber Schaack leveled it at the 6:39 mark.

The teams then traded goals — sophomore Torri Kamlitz scoring for the Blue Jays at 4:25 — before her sister Steph got the game-winner with less than a minute left.

“Williston probably deserved a better fate, at least a point, but give our girls credit. They keep playing. There’s no quit in this bunch,” Schaack said.

The Blue Jays were coming off an impressive 2-1 win Friday night against Minot, which looks even better now after the Magicians snapped Fargo South’s 32-game winning streak Saturday with a 2-1 upset victory.

“We played so well Friday night. We kept the puck to the outside and had things pretty well bottled up,” Schaack said. “Things got away from us at times (today), but you look up at the end of it and there we are 5-4 — we’ll take it.”

Amber Schaack scored two goals. Brenna Pritchert added a goal and got an assist on the game-winner. Elly Millender and Sydney Soulis also earned assists.

Carissa Finck faced 39 shots, including 29 combined over the final two periods.

The Blue Jays have a big game looming, hosting Grand Forks Saturday at 7 p.m.

Jamestown 5, Williston 4

Jamestown 1 1 3 — 5

Williston 1 1 2 — 4

Scoring summary

First period

1, JHS, Brenna Pritchert, 13:03; 2, Kayla Buck (Sarah Pippin), 4:17.

Second period

3, JHS, Amber Schaack, 11:47 (PP), 4, WHS, Pippin (Buck), 9:36.

Third period

5, WHS, Buck (Sydney Haux, Jordan Hill), 9:43; 6, JHS Schaack, (Elly Millender), 6:39; 7, JHS, Torri Kamlitz (Steph Kamlitz, Sydney Soulis), 4:25; 8, WHS, Sam Miller, (Pippin), 2:52; 9, WHS, Kamlitz (Pritchert), :47.

Goalie saves: JHS, Carissa Finck 8-13-14—35; Williston, Kenon Schmidt 9-13-10—32.

Penalties: JHS 2 for 4 minutes; Williston 5 for 10 minutes.

Sun sports editor Dave Selvig can be reached at (701) 952-8460 or by e-mail at dselvig@jamestownsun.com

Tags: jays, sports, hockey