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Fast Start By Beloit Dooms Kenosha

By MJ Hammett WiPH Staff, 01/11/17, 9:15PM CST

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Win critical for section 7 seeding

Beloit Head Coach Kurt Buchs stressed to his team the importance of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Game of the Week before Tuesday night's game.

Coach Buchs knew with the way the season has happened that this game was a must-win game for section 7 seeding. Kenosha Coach JR Litkey felt the same way about this game.

Beloit used a four-goal outburst in the first period and never looked back in their 8-1 victory over the Kenosha Thunder. The critical part of the game was the winner possibly having an upper hand in the section 7 seed meeting.

"I told my guys before the game of the importance of this game and try to get a fast start," said Buchs.

And his team responded quickly right off the opening face-off.

Beloit tallied the first three goals of the game. The first one was scored on the power play by Brady Wright. A minute later, Beloit hit the net again as Noah Davis was able to tap in a loose puck at the back post for a 2-0 lead.

Shortly after that goal Kenosha was whistled for a check from behind giving Beloit a five minute major power play.

"I felt that if we could convert on the power play that time we could take command of the game," said Buchs.

It took a little work but finally Tyler Jensen clanked a shot from the right circle off the post and in for the 3-0 lead. Shortly after the power play was over the Thunder got their own goal on the power play on a shot from the left circle by Jackson Jones.

Any momentum picked up from that goal was quickly dispatched on a goal by Beloit's Nate Polglaze, who weaved thru traffic and got off a shot from the slot using defenders as a screen to give the Knights a 4-1 lead after one period.

In the second period, the Beloit offense put two more on the board. Riley Jensen got in on the scoring and shortly after it was Polglaze again as he finished off an end-to-end rush for a 6-1 lead which was the end of the  night for Thunder goalie Tanner Arnold, who was replaced by Andrew LaForge.

The third period saw Beloit hold the Thunder at bay while scoring two more goals. Jacob Benzing and Riley Jensen scored his second of the night for the final 8-1 score.

Both goalies for Kenosha combined for 43 saves on the night, while the Knights goalie Taven Santucci finished with 21 saves.

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