skip navigation

Special teams propel SPASH past Pines

By Michael Trzinski, 02/20/13, 12:45AM CST

Share

Panthers notch four power play goals and one shortie in win


Twenty-two seconds into the sectional semi-final game between visiting Northland Pines and the host SPASH Panthers, Nick Larson crashed into the left post of the Eagles goal and went down in a heap, clutching his lower left leg as he writhed in obvious pain on the ice.

A hush fell over K.B. Willett Arena as the junior sparkplug was helped off the ice.

That would be the final piece of bad news the home team would receive as they scored five times on special teams and flew past the Eagles 5-1 Tuesday night in a Sectional 3 match-up on a cold, crisp evening in central Wisconsin.

SPASH had a couple of quality chances in the first few minutes, but Pines goalie Jacob Stephan turned them aside to keep the game scoreless in the early going.

The Panthers got on the board first with 1:31 left with a goalie from Austin Haas. The sophomore forward beat Stephan blocker high from the low left side to give the home squad a 1-0 lead. Grant Czaikowski and Jacob Dufresne earned helpers on the play.

The period ended with Pines holding an 8-6 shot edge.

Pines had 98 seconds worth of 5-on-3 early in the middle period, but was unable to convert, scratching out two shots on the man advantages without putting the puck in the net.

A mid-period Pines penalty gave SPASH a power play and they were able to convert.

Jake Jaworski grabbed a rebound off the right post and punched it in to give the home team a 2-0 lead at the 9:52 mark. Tyler McHugh and Jared Hucke were credited with helpers on the play.

On the next trip down the ice, Dufresne just missed on a rebound, pushing it wide. He would have more success later on.

With just under six minutes left, Conner Simmers went off for a slash, but that infraction would not prove harmful to the hosts.

Matthew Dufresne grabbed a loose puck on the right side and moved up ice before spotting Hucke skating free in the middle. One nice pass and shot later, SPASH held a 3-0 lead with slightly less than five minutes left in the period.

WiPH Game Summaries

Although the Eagles were outscored 2-0, they outshot SPASH 15-9 in the period.

Just over seven minutes into the final period while on the power play, Mason Czaikowski's shot from the point through traffic found the back of the net to increase the tally to 4-0, with an assist going to Haas.

Pines got on the board with just over five minutes left while playing short-handed.

Dylan Weber got free on the left side and sniped the puck between the right pad of goalie Nathan Siclovan and the post to cut the lead to 4-1. Adam Kresl earned an assist on the play.

With a bit less than three minutes left, Jacob Dufresne got loose on a 2-on-goalie and pitchforked a backhander past Stephan, popping the goalie's water bottle into the air in the process. McHugh and Matthew Dufresne earned assists on the power play goal.

Shots were 10-4 in favor of SPASH.

Siclovan stopped 26 shots in the win for the Panthers, while Stephan made 20 saves for Pines, who finish the season with a mark of 20-5.

SPASH (21-3-1) will move to the sectional finals, where they will host Wausau West on Saturday at the Willett Arena. Puck drops at 2pm.