Updated at: 12/11/2009 2:34 AM | KSAX.com
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Cardinals Hit the Ice Strong in Their Season Opener

ALEXANDRIA, MN- The Brainerd Warriors were looking to extend their record to 3-0 at the Runestone Community Center when they took on Alexandria on Dec. 8. Coming into the contest Brainerd already had two games down with solid wins beating East Grand Forks in game one and Crookston in game two by good margins. On the other hand this was game one for Alexandria so it was an interesting dynamic to watch two strong teams early in the season still shaking off the rust.

The game started with high intensity and never really took its foot off the pedal until the final buzzer rang. Alexandria would strike first with a great individual effort by senior Kirby Nelson early in the first period. He grabbed the puck in his own zone and took it coast to coast to slip it by Jarod Stearns making it 1-0.

Brainerd would be quick to respond later in the first with good puck control in the Cardinal zone. Senior forward Brett Jenkins threw the puck up to the point Micheal Monda. Monda gave it back to Jenkins along the boards near the hash marks where he let a snap shot go that found its way to the back of the net beating Jacob Rusch to knot things up at 1-1.

From that point the Cardinals took control for the rest of the first. Senior captain Thomas Williams grabbed the puck deep in his own end and went the length of the ice using speed and fantastic stick handling to notch a goal beating Stearns for the go ahead score making it 2-1.

Alexandria would strike yet again off of a faceoff in the Warrior zone. Junior Nick Swanson won the draw to Jacob Smith who put a shot on net that would be blocked but Swanson would be right there to clean up the scraps making it 3-1 wrapping up the first period.

I don't know what Brainerd head coach Jim Archibald said during the first intermission but the Warriors came out looking like a whole new team in the second. They dominated the play all period but seemed to be snake bitten and unable to actually find the back of the net. This came to a head with a breakaway by Brandon Wing who put a beautiful move on Cardinal goaltender Rusch dropping him to the ice for an open net but Wing would miss wide from the mouth of the goal.

The Warriors would finally light the lamp late in the second to put it back to a one goal game however the Cardinals would be able to hold on and coast to a 4-2 win opening their season up at 1-0.

The Cardinals hit the ice again on Dec. 11 to take on Little Falls and Brainerd will be facing Saint Cloud Apollo on Dec. 10.

Written for the web by: Tony Seeman

aseeman@ksax.com