In their first meeting on Dec. 4th, the DC Everest Evergreens beat the Wisconsin Rapids Red Raiders 5-1 on a 33-24 shot disparity. It was one of those games where people tell you it was closer than the final score made it appear.

That wasn't the case on Thursday at Greenheck Turner Community Center in Scholfield as the Evergreens ran all over the Red Raiders to the tune of a 7-1 running time victory.

Everest opened the scoring at the 5:12 mark when defenseman Bode Slavin came into the zone with speed and from the left faceoff dot buried a puck perfectly into the glove side corner. 

Everest added their second goal four minutes later when Caden Allen refused to give up on a rebound and kept pounding it at the net until it went in while surrounded by Red Raiders defenders. 

Everest's third goal of the period, with about 4 minutes left on the clock was easily the prettiest. Aiden Haupt toe-dragged a defenseman at the left faceoff dot and slid a pass across to Ethan Whitemore who roofed a backhand to take the 3-0 lead into the first intermission. 

The second period opened quitely, with neither team generating much offense. Eventually, 8 seconds into a power play at the 10:43 mark Everest extended the lead to 4-0. Cole VanSlyle won the faceoff back to Xavier May at the left point who slid it across to Gabe Simonsen. Simonsen fired a clapper at the net and missed wide, the puck carromed off the end boards and came right out on the other side to Hayden Johnson who punched it in for the 4-0 lead.

With time winding down in the second period the Red Raiders broke the shutout. Griffin Schindler gathered the puck behind the Everest net and from Gretzky's office, he hit Sam Gasch all alone in the slot for the one-timer goal to make it 4-1.

Moving into the third period it was all Evergreens, as they scored three goals in the span of one minute and 38 seconds. Johnson got the first, knocking in a rebound on a May shot from the point to make it 5-1.

Everest made it 6-1 just 12 seconds later. VanSlyke won the draw back to Simonsen who trade passes with May. Simonsen carried into the zone, and dished to VanSlyke who wristed it in.

The final goal came 1:26 later when Braxton Beiler grabbed the puck in the corner and hit Whitmore in front. Whitmore slide it back the other way to Allen who threw it into the net for the 7-1 victory.

Gavin Clendenning had 31 saves in the loss for the Red Raiders, while facing a ton of high quality shots by the Evergreens. Griffen Bunnell had 30 saves in the win for Everest. His .932 save percentage is currently 9th in the state among qualifying goalies.