In the Regional rounds of the WIAA playoffs, the best games are usually when the 8th and 9th seeded teams meet, or the 4th and 5th seeds. Friday night the 5th seeded Mosinee Indians travelled just a few miles north to face the 4th seeded DC Everest Evergreens at the Greenheck Fieldhouse in Schofield. The Evergreens prevailed in a back and forth contest, winning 4-2 to advance to the Sectional Semi-finals.

Playoff hockey brings out the best in high school skaters, with players willing to do whatever it takes come out on top. The Evergreens had an advantage in team speed, but the Indians neutralized that with their physical play and shot-blocking.

The scoring got started with Mosinee’s Bryce Rhineschmidt in the box for interference. The Evergreens had the puck in their offensive zone and passed it back to the left defense. Two Mosinee skaters attacked, and Zeth Pyan came away with the puck and a clear path to the DCE goal. Pyan raced down the ice and put a move on Everest goalie Michael Janke and gave Mosinee a 1-0 lead at 9:18 of the first period.

That lead lasted less than a minute when the Evergreens picked up a power play goal. Mathew Janke shot the puck wide of Mosinee goalie Zach Bednar. Ryan Begley picked up the loose puck behind the net and stepped out front, beating Bednar with a quick, low shot to tie the score.

That was all the scoring in the first period. Janke finished the period with seven saves, while Bednar stopped nine.

Mosinee scored first again in the second period, this time on the power play when Tanner Lindell fired a slap shot from the right point through heavy traffic and past Janke.

Seth Jaglinski tied it up for DCE on a shot from the left face-off circle that Bednar appeared to catch, yet somehow skipped out of his glove and into the back of the net.

With less than a minute to play in the second period, Dalton Weller intercepted a breakout pass from a Mosinee defenseman and scored from the top of the slot allowing the Evergreens to take a 3-2 lead into the locker room.

Saves in the second period were 8 for Janke and 11 for Bednar.

The third period was another hard-hitting battle, with the only scoring coming on an empty net goal by J. J. Berdal with 1:03 remaining. Each goalie recorded six saves in the third.