The defending State Champion Spartans of Superior made their first ever trip to Antigo to take on the Red Robins in a non-conference game on Saturday afternoon.  The Spartans scored first, but the hosts scored twice in the second period en route to a 2-1 victory.

Antigo got an early first-period power play opportunity and applied heavy pressure on the Spartans net, but Superior goalie Caden Welch kept the puck out of the net.

Superior got their first power play chance later in the period, and seconds after the Robin penalty expired, Luke Drugas fired the puck from the left side through the top of the crease. T. J. LaFlamme was parked on the back door and redirected the puck behind Robin netminder Ben Barteletti.

Each team put eight shots on the other team’s goal in the first.

Antigo turned things around in the second period, controlling the puck and out-shooting Superior 16-4. “We did good pressuring them in all three zones, taking away their time and space,” said Antigo head coach Matt Borneman. “The line of Wickersheim, Bunnell, and VerHagen had great physical play.”

Adam Schmidt tied the game at the 10:56 mark when he fired in a rebound of Matt Winter’s shot from the left point. Just under three minutes later Alex Nagel scored the eventual game-winner with a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle on a Robin power play. “We won the special teams battle, which was the difference in this game,” added Borneman.

“Overall, a great team win! They are a fast, hard working team that is much better than their current record. Ben Bartletti was great at making the tough saves when called upon.”