Three goals in the second period by Alex Nagel gave the Antigo Red Robins the cushion they needed to hold of the hard-charging SPASH Panthers 6-3 in a Section 3 semi-final game at the Langlade County Ice Arena on Tuesday night.

Both teams have shown great offensive explosion this season, with the Panthers especially coming on strong in the second half of the season. But the Robins proved to be the more solid team on defense, keeping SPASH and the Caufield brother at bay for most of the game.

Antigo scored first, midway through the first period. The Robins moved the puck out of their zone to Ben Jansen just in front of the Panthers blue line. Jansen made a nice touch pass to his left to get the puck to a streaking Cody Below who charged toward the SPASH net should to shoulder with a defenseman. Below worked his way to the edge of the crease and roofed a shot over Point goalie Phil Trzebiatowski.

“We liked our third line against theirs,” said Antigo coach Matt Borneman, “and that matchup got us on the board first. Jansen is a great flex player, being able to move between forward and defense when the situation calls for it.”

The Panthers would answer off the ensuing face-off. Brock Caufield got the puck in the neutral zone and carried it down the right edge of the slot, and fired a shot that beat Antigo’s Ben Bartletti on the short side.

The play and the shots were mostly even in the first period, with Trzebiatowski making 9 saves, and Bartletti tallying 10.

Getting the number two seed and home ice advantage also meant that Antigo got to make the final line changes. “We liked our second line against their first, and our first against their second,” said Borneman. “That was the matchup we were trying for all night.”

In the second period, the teams switch ends, and the Robins took control. First defenseman Matt Winter caught the Panthers making a defensive change that left Alex Nagel all alone at the SP blue line. Winter fired the long pass and Nagel walked in and beat Trzebiatowski to give Antigo a 2-1 lead.

With less than four minutes to go in the second, Nagel put a shot on net from the bottom of the left face-off circle and continued skating. He picked up his own rebound, cut across the top of the crease and slid the puck through the five hole as Trzebiatowski tried to move with him.

About a half minute later the Robins crashed the Point net again, this time with Elijah Wickersheim taking the shot on goal, and the same Alex Nagel picking up the rebound and putting it in the back of the net for a 4-1 lead that Antigo would take into the locker room.

“Our senior goal scorer took control of the game in the second period with his natural hat trick,” said Borneman. “Nagel played well all around.”

Adam Schmidt put Antigo up 5-1 with a power play goal at 3:30 in the third. Nagel took a shot from high in the slot, and as Trzebiatowski moved to his left to make the save, Schmidt stopped the puck and shot it to the back of the net on the other side.

Cole Caufield and Sam Medo picked up power play goals for SPASH late in the period, and Zack Levis added an empty net goal to round out the scoring at 6-3.

“We were undisciplined with a couple of the penalties we took, and that can’t happen the rest of the way,” Stated Borneman. “SPASH offensively moves the puck well and is great at finding back door looks. Their consistent attack was a great challenge for us and should aid us in preparing for West.”

The Robins will advance to face Wausau West in the Section 3 final for the third year in a row. West was a 7-1 victor over DC Everest on Tuesday night. That game will be Saturday at 2:30 at the Greenheck Fieldhouse at DC Everest.