The Northern Edge power play unit skated onto the ice four times on a snowy Thursday evening at the Langlade County Ice Arena.

They skated off in a much better mood four times with the puck in the back of the Point-Rapids Red Panthers net as they cruised to a 5-0 win, securing a second place finish in the Great Northern Conference behind Northland Pines, who earned their second consecutive conference crown earlier this week.

The game started about 15 minutes late as Antigo and Mosinee battled in a GNC boys game (won by Antigo 2-0) on the home team's Senior Night.

The Edge (15-7-2, 11-2-1 GNC) got going early, just over two minutes in on their first power play. Taylor Trachte grabbed a nice cross-ice pass and zipped a quick shot from the low left side that beat Red Panthers goalie Emily Bubla at 2:11. Lindsey Steger and Katie Detert earned helpers on the play.

Late in the period GNC scoring leader Detert scored her 35th goal of the year as she had a step on a defender and rifled a shot just past the blocker of the Red Panther goalie to give the home team a 2-0 lead. Kirsten Kolasa was credited with an assist on the scoring play at 13:17. 

The period ended with the home squad holding a 9-4 shot margin.

Marie Sandstrom gave the home girls a 3-0 lead on her unassisted power play goal just about four minutes in. Coach Rachael Graves switched goalies at this point, inserting freshman Merina Chappel into the fray.

A few minutes later, Detert scored her second goal--the only even strength goal of the game--when she grabbed a turnover along the left boards, skated down to the low left circle and snapped a shot past the Red Panthers keeper to make it 4-0.

The Edge outshot the Red Panthers 12-8 in the session.

Sandstrom closed out the scoring with her second goal at the 7:13 mark of the final period, when her shot from the low right circle snuck between Chappel's left pad and the right post. Steger and Detert earned assists on the fourth Edge power play goal.

Shots were 7-6 in the final stanza, with the Edge holding the edge over Point-Rapids.

Shea Petersen earned her third shutout of the year for the Edge, while Bubla (11) and Chappel (12) combined for 23 saves for the Red Panthers, who dropped to 10-9-3 (9-4-1 GNC, third place).

Both squads begin playoff action next week, with the third-seeded Edge hosting #6 Tomahawk Thursday night at Rhinelander Ice Arena.

The fourth-seeded Red Panthers finish their regular season with a home game against the Badger Thunder on Valentine's Day, and then will face off with #5 Marshfield next Thursday at the South Wood County Rec Center in Wisconsin Rapids.