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SPASH edges Rapids with strong third period

By Michael Trzinski, 01/31/13, 11:30PM CST

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Panthers score twice in final period to earn 3-2 win


On a very cold last day in January, the SPASH Panthers and Wisconsin Rapids Red Raiders met on the ice for the 41st time at the South Wood County Rec Center Thursday evening.

For the 28th time, the Panthers came out on top as they scored a pair of third period goals to edge the hosts 3-2 in Wisconsin Valley Conference action on Senior Night--with Rapids honoring four seniors.

The pace was fast and furious from the get-go, with Point having the best of it early.

Austin Haas and Nick Larson had good chances about four minutes in, but Rapids goalie Tyler Gilbert made two nice stops to keep the game at zero.

SPASH scored its first goal on a power play. Matthew Dufresne worked his way from the slot area to near the left dot before launching a shot that ended in the back of the net at 6:26 for the unassisted goal.

Under a minute later, Rapids tied the game on a power play of their own.

After Panthers goalie Nathan Siclovan stopped two rockets off the stick of Caleb Schroer, the Rapids junior found the third time to be a charm as his booming shot from the middle point beat the netminder at the 7:02 mark, with an assist on the pass from the left wing from Sam Storlie.

A couple minutes later, Gilbert stoned Dufresne with a nice right pad save, sliding to the post before the Panther forward could sneak the puck into the net after a turnover.

Near the end of the period, two penalties came back to bite the Panthers.

Jake Jaworski and Larson each went off for penalties on the same sequence, giving the hosts two minutes' worth of 5-on-3. Schroer sent a pass from the right dot to the high slot, where Luc Kreuser promptly buried the puck through traffic to give the home team a 2-1 lead at the 14:25 mark. Casey Esselman also earned a helper on the play.

That's how the period ended, with Rapids owning the shot column, 13-8.

The fans were treated to a Mini-Mite scrimmage between periods one and two, laughing and cheering as the little ones alternately showed flashes of brilliance and clumsiness, scoring goals one second and falling on their butts a minute later. 

The second period had plenty of action, but no scoring.

Matt Edwards had a nice chance in the middle of the period, but Siclovan inadvertently knocked the net off as he slid backwards to make the stop.

WiPH Game Summaries

Just over a minute later, Gilbert made a save and the puck popped high into the air in the crease. A Panthers forward swatted at the puck, knocking it into the net. The officials correctly signalled 'no goal.'

Dufresne once again found himself free on a rush, but Gilbert snuffed out the chance with a nice glove save with just under four minutes left in the period.

SPASH held a 12-6 shot edge in the stanza.

Early in the third, the guests scored the only even-strength goal of the game to tie the contest.

On what looked like an innocent 'even-man' rush, Haas ripped a shot from the top of the right circle that nicked off the blocker of Gilbert and hit the twine at the back of the net to make it 2-all at the 1:27 mark. Larson got an assist on the score.

The next couple minutes for Rapids, Edwards had a wrap-around attempt slide off his stick and Jacob Blakeslee shot wide on a 2-on-1 rush to keep the score tied.

Point un-knotted the score on another power play minutes later.

Jaworski had the puck on the left dot and walked in a few feet before sending a laser off the inside of the left post and past Gilbert's blocker for the game-winner at 7:36. Matt Hoyt got an assist.

Three minutes later, as a SPASH penalty was expiring, Grant Czaikowski snuck out of the box and gathered in the puck at center ice before going in on Gilbert, who negated the threat with a nice glove save for Rapids.

Rapids took a time-out with 1:14 left and got Gilbert off for an extra attacker with 52 seconds left, but was unable to tally the equalizer.

Shots were 10-9 in favor of the hosts.

Siclovan made 27 saves for Point, while Gilbert stopped 26 on the other end.

In a radio interview after the game, SPASH coach Dan Francis laughed and said, "We always have to make it interesting.

"We hung in there and were able to capitalize in the third and came out with a big win."

The two teams meet again tomorrow at 4:00pm at the K.B. Willett Arena in Point for a make-up game that had been cancelled on Tuesday.