A dominant second period proved to be the difference for the SPASH Panthers as they handed the Middleton Cardinals their first loss of the season in a 6-2 triumph on Saturday night at K. B. Willett Arena in Stevens Point.

The Panthers out-shot the Cardinals 13 to 3 in the second period, putting four of them behind Middleton goalie Heuer Stutz. Wyatt Ehrhardt got one past SPASH goalie Zachary Burdick in the period’s final minute to give the Cardinals some hope going into the intermission, but that was as close as they would get.

The opening period was mostly controlled by the Panthers, who spent most of the frame swarming around the Cardinals defensive zone, firing 16 shots on goal. But only the first one got by Stutz, when Carter Drexler clipped the inside of the short-side post from the left faceoff circle.

The Cardinals came to life late in the period, getting most of their 8 shots in the second half. A power play goal by Thomas Sutcliffe from the top of the crease tied the score at one each just before intermission.

The second stanza was spent mostly in the Middleton end of the ice. Point scored their goals in pairs, with Thomas Sutcliffe and Carsen Somers lighting the lamp about a minute apart midway through the period. Then Grady Miller and Jace Dedie each tallied a goal 15 seconds apart late in the frame.

Buoyed by Ehrhardt’s goal at the end of the second, the Cardinals came out strong in the third, spending more time on the Panthers’ end of the ice. But Mason Dillingham scored for SPASH, restoring their four goal lead and ending the Middleton uprising.

Heuer Stutz stopped 32 of the 38 shots from the Panthers, while Zachary Burdick made 15 saves on the 17 shots taken by the Cardinals.