| Boys hockey: Vanko's five points carries Oregon against Spartans |
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Sports Editor Drought. It’s not something senior defenseman Alec Vanko has experienced very often when it comes to putting the puck into the back of the net. And it’s something the Oregon standout can all but forget about after Tuesday evening’s 8-1 shellacking of McFarland in the team’s Badger South Conference debut at home. “I kind of felt I could have a good game tonight,” said Vanko, who had been working alone on getting his game together inside the Oregon Community Ice Arena after struggling in the past couple of games. Vanko was more than good on Tuesday, however, recording five points. The Spartans, who took 21 penalties last Saturday in a 3-0 loss against Reedsburg/Wisconsin Dells, again were unable to stay out of the box Tuesday against the Panthers. “We knew they were going to come out chippy,” Vanko said. “The first shift they were taking runs at everyone and we knew if we kept getting in their heads, we’d be able to capitalize on power play-opportunities.” That’s exactly what the Panthers did, as Nick Ayers and Ryan Horton finished off man-advantage chances 3 minutes apart in the first period for a 4-0 lead. With the game all put locked off through one period, Vanko buried a pair of goals in the first 10 minutes of the second period and capped of his first hat trick of the season less than 5 minutes into the third. Horton scored a pair of goals and assisted on another in the win, while Alex Robson and Nick Strycharske each scored. Sophomore goaltender Kyle Carignan stopped 14 shots, while Blake Nikolai turned away two late in the third. Oregon 2, Sauk Prairie 2 Junior forward Charlie Groenier’s even-strength goal with 15 seconds remaining in the second period drew Oregon even last Friday at Sauk Prairie. The Panthers, despite coming back from a one-goal deficit twice, never held the lead, playing to a 2-2 deadlock. Sauk Prairie’s Dan Brennan and Jackson Gundlach each scored a goal in the first period before Oregon rallied behind Carignan, who turned aside 30 of 32 shots on goal. Nick Ayers’ power-play goal midway through the first period evened the score at 1-all before Gundlach put the Eagles ahead 3 minutes later. Oregon was far from happy with the outcome, however. “We didn’t travel all this way to play for a tie,” co-head Brad Mastenbrook said. “We took a small step forward, by showing more grittiness and by finishing our checks, but we’re not satisfied with the final score.” Oregon 2, R/M/B 0 Mastenbrook was pleased with his team’s energy and Oregon’s 2-0 win at Saturday against the Eau Claire Regis/Chippewa Falls McDonnell/Bloomer co-op, especially having skated to a 2-2 draw 24 hours earlier. Seniors Nick and Mike Ayers supplied the Panthers with all the offense they would need, scoring an even-strength goal in the first and third period. Oregon’s leading goal scorer this season, Nick struck first, 10:25 into the first period, as Nick Miller and Vanko helped set up the score. Just under 13 minutes into the third it was Mike Ayers turn, using a Blake Watzke pass en route to a 2-0 cushion, which was more than enough for Carignan. R/M/B had jumped out to a 5-0 start behind the play of junior goaltender Sam Nelson before Saturday’s setback. Nelson stopped 24 shots, while Carignan easily brushed aside all 16 he faced. Edgewood preview The Panthers return to the ice on Tuesday, Dec. 13, when they host defending conference champion Madison Edgewood. The Crusaders are 4-1-0 (1-0-0), dropping their first game of the season 5-4 against Reedsburg/Wisconsin Dells. Forward Taylor Brown (7G, 3PPG, 5A) has paced the Edgewood offense so far scoring a pair of goals in three straight games before last Friday’s 5-2 win over Baraboo. Offensively, the Panthers will have to deal with getting the puck past netminder Connor Curliss, who has allowed three goals and posted a .933 GAA average in three wins. “We’ve been close a couple of times, but we’ve never beat Edgewood,” Vanko said. “... We’re excited and ready to go.” |
![Oregon senior Mike Ayers (11) finishes a check during the Panthers 8-1 win over Adam Rowe-Johnson (14) and McFarland on Tuesday. [Photo by Jeremy Jones]](http://www.oregonobserver.com/SiteImages/Article/3387a.jpg)
