Fortis Pulls Away in Second Half to Defeat Performance Office Papers, Tightens Grip on First Place

The Dangle League returned to Braemar Arena on Tuesday night with another pair of games that reflected just how balanced the league has become. Entering the night, first place Fortis knew every point mattered with the three teams behind them sitting within a single win of the league lead. Every game has carried a playoff feel and Tuesday night was no exception.

Performance Office Papers entered the night with renewed confidence after a convincing 6-0 shutout of Twin Cities Orthopedics one week ago, snapping a brief two-game slide that included a pair of hard-fought 5-4 defeats. Fortis countered having won two straight games while scoring five goals in each, but this matchup presented an entirely different challenge.

For 30 minutes the two clubs traded chances in what quickly became one of the better defensive efforts of the Dangle League season. Performance Office Papers generated 14 first-half shots while Fortis answered with 11 of its own, but neither offense could solve the goaltenders. Beth Bigalke turned aside every opportunity she faced for Performance Office Papers while Ilamay Draheim matched her save for save as the game remained scoreless heading into the second half.

The deadlock finally broke just 2:36 into the second period. Bonnie Zhao found space in the offensive zone and snapped home her second goal of the season to give Fortis its first lead of the night. The goal immediately shifted the pace of the game as Fortis began to establish sustained offensive zone pressure.

Performance Office Papers answered less than four minutes later when Alaina Post capitalized to even the score at 1-1, briefly swinging momentum back to the visitors but Fortis never blinked.

At the 17:32 mark Sasha Cole restored the lead with Penny Gorman collecting her second assist of the season on what proved to be the game-winning goal. The insurance marker followed with 7:30 remaining when Morgan Goskesen finished a quality passing sequence from Taylor Risch and Mayme Scott, extending the lead to 3-1 and allowing Fortis to dictate the closing minutes.

While the final score favored Fortis by two goals, the game was considerably tighter than the scoreboard suggested. Performance Office Papers carried a 14-11 shot advantage through the opening half before Fortis responded with an 18-7 edge over the final 30 minutes, finishing with a 29-21 advantage.

Draheim was outstanding between the pipes, stopping 20 of 21 shots to earn the victory while Bigalke battled through constant second-half pressure with 26 saves.

With the win, Fortis improved to 4-1-0, strengthening its hold atop the Dangle League standings. Performance Office Papers slipped to 2-3-0, but once again showed they remain capable of challenging any team in the league on a given night.

Fortis returns to action on July 21 against Twin Cities Orthopedics, while Performance Office Papers will look to bounce back against MNHockeyTv in another matchup that could have significant implications in one of the most competitive Dangle League seasons to date.