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Beloit Quiets The Thunder

By MJ Hammett WiPH Staff, 02/21/17, 11:45PM CST

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Riley Jensen's hat trick leads the way

The Beloit Knights beat Kenosha earlier in the season by way of getting off to a fast start in the first period.

This time it took until the second period.

Riley Jensen's second period natural hat trick broke up a tight game and they never looked back and beat the Kenosha Thunder 6-0 in a section 7 sectional final Tuesday night in Beloit.

Beloit, the number six seed in the sectional, now moves on to play number 1 seed Waukesha Saturday in Janesville with a State tournament berth on the line.

Beloit coach Kurt Buchs  was very pleased with the team effort.

"Our top guys stepped up, finished with their opportunities, the defense got pucks out of the zone quickly and not allow them to have sustained pressure in our zone."

Casper Clark opened up the scoring, coming down the left side and cutting to the middle, beating the defense and goalie Joey LaForge for a 1-0 lead early in the first period.

Kenosha seemed to start crawling back into the game with a couple offensive chances but that's where Jensen took over. He scored a goal to make it 2-0 on pretty much the same way as Clark, but on the right side. Before the goal could be announced entirely, he scored again from close in for a 3-0 lead.

Two goals in 12 seconds.

Jensen finished off the natural hat trick with another score with over three minutes left in the second period giving Beloit a 4-0 lead after two periods.

Beloit would tack on Clark's second goal of the night, and a Tyler Jensen goal in the third period to finish off the 6-0 win. Beloit goalie Taven Santucci was perfect on the night making 28 saves.

"Riley Jensen played a complete game," said Buchs. "He back-checked hard and took hits to make plays and draw a few penalties."

Beloit moves up the road to Janesville for a chance to go to Madison. Waukesha comes to the sectional final playing on a smaller sheet of ice in Janesville.

"Waukesha is a great team with arguably the best player in the state in Ian Malcolmson.

"We're gonna have our hands full no matter where we play them," said Buchs.

WiPH Game Summaries