MEDFORD BOYS HOCKEY - Robins, Blizzard feast in hockey routs

MEDFORD BOYS HOCKEY

Antigo’s Eli Kassler, the state’s leading scorer with 75 points coming in, was at it again Tuesday, scoring five goals and adding six assists in the Red Robins’ 13-3 rout of the Medford Raiders in a Great Northern Conference hockey tournament consolation semifinal.

There was little doubt to the outcome as fifth-seeded Antigo jumped ahead 6-1 in the first period and led 10-1 before Medford scored its last two goals in the second period. Antigo tacked on its last three goals in the third period and advanced to the fifth-place game of the tournament against seventh-seeded Rhinelander.

Medford, now 2-18 overall, will face sixth-seeded Northland Pines in the 10 a.m. seventh-place game Saturday in Mosinee to complete its regular season. The Eagles were upset 3-2 by Rhinelander Tuesday in the other consolation semifinal.

Also in the tournament Tuesday, topseeded Tomahawk beat fourth-seeded Mosinee 5-2, while second-seeded Lakeland beat third-seeded Waupaca 3-1 in the semifinals. Lakeland will play Tomahawk in the 7 p.m. championship game Saturday in Mosinee, while Waupaca will play Mosinee in the 4 p.m. third-place game. The Rhinelander/Antigo game will start at 1 p.m.

Kassler, who had eight goals in Antigo’s 10-3 win over Medford on Nov. 30, did not factor in his team’s first goal Tuesday. That was scored by Collin Tiedemann 4:52 in and was assisted by Parker Chaney and Trenton Walbeck. A roughing penalty gave Medford a power play less than a minute later and the Raiders took advantage with Logan Koski scoring the tying goal with assists from Fischer Thums and Cole Pernsteiner. The tie lasted 3:14. Owen Dickman put Antigo ahead for good at 10:10, assisted by Kassler and Liam Burt. Kassler got his first goal 1:38 after that and then assisted on Dickman’s second goal at 12:36. Kassler scored at 13:47 and 14:09 to give Antigo its five-goal cushion at the first intermission.

Dickman secured his hat trick 6:14 into the second period, then Kassler scored goals at 6:34 and 7:25. Dickman got his fourth goal, a short-hander, at 8:57 to make it 10-1.

Cameron Bull temporarily stopped the bleeding for Medford with an unassisted goal at 9:37. Just 53 seconds later, Pernsteiner got his second goal of the season with assists from Tucker Phillips and Tucyr Smola, who got his first career point with the assist.

Kassler scored at 5:51 in the third and Antigo got power-play goals from Burt at 8:59 and 10:57. Medford was called for two five-minute major penalties in the period.

Medford created some offensive traffic, putting 33 shots on Antigo goalie Nolan Bunnell, who had 30 saves. He stopped 16 of 18 shots he saw in the second period and had 10 first-period saves.

Talan Albers had 22 saves for the Raiders.

After Saturday’s GNC finale, Medford has a very tough task in its WIAA Division 2 tournament opener Feb. 15. As the sectional’s seventh seed, Medford will visit the second-seeded Amery Co-op for a 7 p.m. face-off. The Warriors are 21-2 and have clinched the Middle Border Conference title with their 9-0 record.

New Richmond (12-9-2), aided by its strength of schedule playing in the Big Rivers Conference and a 5-1 win over Amery on Jan. 13 is the one-seed and hosts the winless eighth-seeded Chequamegon Co-op in its opener next Thursday. The Medford/Amery winner will get either sixth-seeded Spooner (5-14-1) or thirdseeded Hayward (10-11-1) in the sectional semifinals Feb. 20. The Frederic Co-op Blizzard (11-10-1) got the fifth seed and will visit fourth-seeded Rice Lake (4-16) of the Big Rivers Conference in the first round.

Blizzard 10, Raiders 1

It was not a fun Friday night in Siren for the Raiders, who were blown out 10-1 by the Frederic Co-op Blizzard in non-conference play. A six-goal second period broke open what had already been a 3-0 lead and sent the Blizzard well on their way to their second win of the season over Medford. The Blizzard won the first meeting 2-1 back on Dec. 19.

The Frederic Co-op didn’t have an overwhelming edge with shots on goal at 35-29 and Medford had more power plays, 6-4. The Blizzard was just much better at putting the puck in the net.

Medford’s lone goal came from Phillips 9:59 into the third period. It came on a power play and with assists from Noah Machon and Bull. It made the score 9-1 at the time. The Blizzard got its 10th goal with 45 seconds left in the game. It was scored by Levi Anderson.

Landyn Randt had five goals for the winners and he added three assists. Reese Eichten added a hat trick and two assists. Randt’s first two goals came 1:48 and 3:50 into the first period, setting the tone for the night. It stayed 2-0 until Eichten scored off a Randt assist at 13:00.

Randt clinched his hat trick 27 seconds into the second period to start the home team’s six-goal spree in the period. Randt scored three times in the period and Eichten scored twice. Logan Smestad had the Blizzard’s other goal.

Albers had 25 saves for Medford. The Blizzard’s Lewis Anderson stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced.