Raiders start strong, but Rice Lake eventually takes over

MEDFORD BOYS HOCKEY

It didn’t last as long as they would’ve liked but for a time in the first period Tuesday, the Medford Raiders had the lead and had the momentum in their non-conference matchup with heavilyfavored Rice Lake. Eventually, the Warriors restored order and pulled away for an 8-1 win, but Medford’s effort was one head coach Galen Searles will take every time out.

“The guys were passing well tonight, picking their head up,” Searles said. “The speed of our game isn’t quite at the same level as the Mosinees and the Rice Lakes. But I was happy with the effort and the attitude. They’re having fun out there. We don’t get down. If we know the other team is really good and has more lines, then the guys are very practical and understand.”

Jace Fitzgerald had a hat trick and added two assists for the Warriors, who improved to 2-1 overall, and did all of his damage in a six-goal stretch that turned a 1-1 tie in the first period into a 7-1 game early in the third.

The Raiders and goal tender Ben Brunner turned away Rice Lake’s first six shots. Medford got a couple shots on Warrior goalie Matthew Neeser, then they struck for the game’s first goal at 6:59 with Miles Searles centering the puck to Brayden Machon, who was left alone in the slot and fired the puck over Neeser’s right shoulder and got it just under the crossbar. Noah Machon had the second assist.

“With Miles and Brayden the reason I put them together is they’re both playmakers and now that they’ve been together awhile they’re developing some chemistry with each other,” Galen Searles said. “Miles is the one who carries it more. Brayden gets himself open and he’s got a nice one-timer. In practice he works on that. That’s a weapon for him. I told him when he came off, I don’t know if that goalie is great or not, but that would have beat pretty much anyone. It was fast, he hit the perfect spot and after that, we were rolling for a little while.”

The Raiders were able to keep the puck in Rice Lake’s zone for a few shifts, but once the Warriors got an odd-man rush to the other end, Adam Timm converted by barely getting a shot inside the post to Brunner’s right side and tied the game at the 9:52 mark.

Fitzgerald broke the tie at 11:45 and his short-handed goal near the end of a five-minute major 14 seconds into the second period made it 3-1 and put Rice Lake in control. Timm had the assists on both goals.

Kellen Marsh scored with assists from Fitzgerald and Timm at 11:19, then Rice Lake put the game away with two goals in a 35-second span at the end of the period. Teagan Scheurer scored with 39 seconds left with assists from Jakob Kunz and Caleb Johnson. Fitzgerald got a one-on-one chance against Brunner thanks to assists from Timm and Marsh and scored with just four seconds left.

Marsh and Kunz scored Rice Lake’s third-period goals.

Brunner had 29 saves on 37 shots faced, including 12 saves in the first period and 10 more in the second. Neeser finished with 13 saves, eight of which came in the first period.

“Ben has been improving unbelievably,” coach Searles said.

Medford did not convert on its two power plays. Rice Lake did not score on its only chance.

The Raiders return to Great Northern Conference play tonight, Thursday, when they host Antigo at 7 p.m. The Stevens Point Pacelli Co-op is in town for a non-conference game Tuesday that starts at 5 p.m.

Mosinee 12, Medford 0

The offensive combination of Caden Schmirler, AJ Buenning and Carter Daul was too much for Medford to handle Thursday in a 12-0 loss to Mosinee in the Raiders’ Great Northern Conference and home opener.

Each of those linemates scored twice and they combined for 10 of Mosinee’s 14 assists. The Indians were three for four on power plays in their win and added a short-handed goal.

The game was competitive until Mosinee scored three times in a span of 4:29 late in the first period to turn a onegoal lead into a four-goal lead. A six-goal outburst in the second period broke it wide open.

But, with just three shots on goal the entire night, the Raiders had no chance to keep up with the senior-dominated Indians.

Medford’s best scoring chance came 30 seconds into the game when Miles Searles set up Brayden Machon for a one-on-one opportunity against goalie John Reede at point-blank range, but Machon’s shot sailed just over the crossbar.

At 3:16, only nine seconds after the Indians went on their first power play, Ondrej Napravnik pushed in a wraparound goal to give his team the lead. Schmirler and Daul were credited with assists.

It stayed 1-0 until the 12:16 mark when Eli Miland’s blast from the blue line was deflected in by Jaegar Dhein. At 14:56, Buenning got the short-handed goal off Daul’s pass from behind the net. Schmirler picked up a loose puck in the defensive zone and carried it end-to-end and beat Raider goalie Ben Brunner low to the glove side for a power-play goal with just 15 seconds left in the period.

Freshman goalie Talan Albers made his debut for Medford in the second period and collected a couple of saves before the Indians caught Medford in a line change and got a breakaway chance for Schmirler, who didn’t miss it at the 2:05 mark. Daul scored at 7:02 at the end of some pretty tic-tac-toe passing with Buenning and Schmirler. Elliot Yirkovsky had an open left side of the net off a crossing pass from Grant Kuklinski at 8:03 and Spencer Swiderski found the top shelf at 9:03 for an 8-0 lead.

Buenning scored off a Daul assist on a two-on-one chance at 10:53. Daul’s low shot found the back of the net on a Mosinee power play at 14:47.

Kuklinski and Dhein had Mosinee’s third-period goals.

Brunner had 21 saves in the first and third periods, while Albers got nine saves in the second period. Mosinee finished with 42 shots on goal.