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Command Performances

By Loren Nelson, 01/15/22, 10:00AM CST

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Goaltenders Dixon Ehlers of Red Wing and Kassandra Fontaine of Bagley/Fosston elevate their games to new heights

Dixon Ehlers and Kassandra Fontaine don’t spend a lot of time in the spotlight.

Not that they have time to care. The two goaltenders, both of whom play for what have been off-the-radar programs in recent years, are too busy stopping avalanches of pucks to worry about seeing their names in the headlines.

Both turned in exceedingly good performances Thursday, helping their teams notch impressive wins.

Ehlers stopped 38 shots in Red Wing’s 6-0 home triumph over Faribault to become just the seventh goalie this season to make 35 or more saves in a shutout. Two hundred miles to the north in Duluth, Fontaine made 40 saves — her highest total of the season — in Bagley/Fosston’s 4-1 triumph over Duluth Marshall, the Flyers’ fifth-straight victory.

It wasn’t the first eyebrow-raising performance for Ehlers, a Red Wing senior who has gained a bit of attention with a sparkling save percentage (he’s currently at .936) that has kept him among the state’s top 10 most of the season. 

“I would say it was probably one of the better ones of the season,” Red Wing coach Tony Casci said about Ehlers’ performance against Faribault. “Early on in the season (Dec. 2), we beat Simley 6-2 and he stopped 52 of 54. That’s a pretty good night, too.”

Fontaine, who saw limited duty on the Flyers' varsity last season, has shown steady improvement as the full-time starter. While she gets the customary notoriety that goes with being the rare girl playing a boys’ sport, her performance against Duluth Marshall was a brilliant one, regardless of gender.

“I actually told her it was her best game,” Bagley/Fosston coach Alex Jesness said. “She’s always so square to the puck. I’ve had a lot of goalies the last seven or eight years that overreact to one side. She never ever does that.”

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Ehlers is also a standout shot putter and discus thrower on the track and field team. In hockey, he’s been on the Wingers’ varsity since he was a freshman. This is his first season as the team’s undisputed starter, and he’s helped Red Wing to a 5-8-0 record (the Wingers were (4-13-1 last season). Ehlers has played every minute of every game and has faced 639 shots, the most in the state.

“He’s a high-rep guy, he likes to see a lot of shots in practice the day before a game,” Casci said. “It kind of suits him well.”

As the Flyers’ lone goaltender, Fontaine also has played every minute of every game this season (she’s 7-7-1). Jesness said the Flyers have just one goalie at the Bantam level as well, so if Fontaine should be injured or otherwise unavailable to play, there is no Plan B.

“Trust me, I’ve been worrying about it,” he said. “I’m just hoping nothing bad happens.”

Red Wing resumes action at 7:15 p.m. tonight with a Big 9 Conference game at No. 19-1A Albert Lea. Bagley/Fosston plays a 2 p.m. game today against Breckenridge/Wahpeton in Bagley.

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