Raiders look better in game two, fall to Pacelli and RAM to start season

Cole Pernsteiner’s second-period goal tied the game at 1-1, but the Stevens Point Pacelli Co-op did all of the scoring after that, earning a 5-1 hockey win over the visiting Medford Raiders Tuesday night.

In their second game of the season, the Raiders showed improvement from game one, playing an even game with Pacelli more than halfway through the contest. But two goals late in the second period turned the momentum toward the Cardinals, who carried it the rest of the way to improve their early-season record to 2-1.

“We had a really solid first period,” Medford head coach Klayton Kree said after the loss. “Some good offensive pressure led to some scoring chances that we just weren’t able to bury. Penalties hurt us tonight.”

Pacelli outshot Medford 13-5 in the first period, but senior goalie Talan Albers was up to the task, stopping all 13 of those shots. The Raiders killed three Pacelli power plays in the period as well.

The Cardinals were first on the board 7:16 into the second, getting a goal from Noah Hasler off a Caleb McGregor assist. But Pernsteiner answered just 13 seconds later.

“I was proud of how they responded to the first goal, getting one right back in 13 seconds,” Kree said. “Ian Roiger and Logan Koski had a good play to get the puck to Cole and he rifled one top shelf on the goalie.”

Pacelli finally converted a power play at 11:25, getting the go-ahead goal from Axel Rintala with assists from Zane Phillis and Brady Foster. Phillis scored at 14:05 to give Pacelli a 3-1 lead heading into the third period. Medford ran out of gas in third, getting outshot 25-6. Pacelli got a Payton Ledocq goal just two minutes in and Phillis iced things with an unassisted goal at 9:48.

Albers was busy, stopping 46 of the 51 shots he faced. Isaac Aldrich got the win between the pipes for the Cardinals while collecting 21 saves.

Seven penalties led to 14 penalty minutes for the Raiders. The Cardinals converted on one of six power plays. Medford had one first-period chance and did not convert.

“We eventually had a couple of mental breakdowns that Pacelli was able to capitalize on. The guys fought hard. For the second game, we did a lot of good things and we have some things to fix.”

The Raiders open Great Northern Conference play tonight, Thursday, at defending GNC champion Lakeland. They’ll turn right around and host Marshfield Friday in the home opener. The puck drops at 7 p.m. in both games. Medford will be in Park Falls Tuesday to face the Chequamegon Co-op at 6 p.m. Antigo is at the Simek Center on Dec. 12.

RAM 8, Medford 1

Nate Spencer scored three goals and Tanner Robinson had four assists to lead the Regis-Altoona-McDonell Co-op (RAM) to an 8-1 win over Medford at Altoona in the Raiders’ first game of the new hockey season.

RAM hit Medford’s young squad with two quick goals before some fans had even settled in and then gradually built on that lead until Raider freshman defenseman William Harris got a puck past RAM’s Tucker Derouin for an unassisted goal at the 8:42 mark of the third period, making it a 7-1 game at the time.

Medford put 16 shots on two RAM goalies. Derouin had two saves in 17:15 to finish the game. Callan Laux had 13 saves for the winners, including eight in the second period.

Albers had 26 saves for Medford, including 11 in the second period.

The hosts got an unassisted goal from Dylan Vold just 1:14 in and then got Spencer’s first goal just 13 seconds later, which was set up by Brady Robinson and Tanner Robinson.

A little more than six minutes later, Brady Robinson got the first of his two goals on the night, taking a centering pass from Spencer at the 7:48 mark. Tanner Robinson centered for Spencer’s second goal, which came at 14:46 and put RAM up 4-0 Brady Robinson scored 59 seconds into the second period, then the Raider defense put together its longest streak of scoreless hockey, skating nearly 12 minutes before Spencer capped his hat trick with assists from the Robinsons. That made it 6-0 with 4:18 left in the second period.

RAM’s Tavian Gilbert-Rasso and Tanner Robinson scored goals around the Harris goal in the third period.

Medford had just three penalties. RAM’s only power play goal came on its last one. The Raiders couldn’t convert on their four power play chances.