It’s all Mosinee in 10-0 hockey rout
Matchups with Mosinee have rarely been kind to Medford's hockey program and Tuesday’s game at the Simek Recreation Center was no exception.
The Indians scored four times in the first period and added three more in each of the next two periods to take home a 10-0 Great Northern Conference win.
The first three goals came in a span of 2:01 early in the first period. At 3:39 on the game's first power play, Mosinee's Elliot Yirkovsky was allowed to skate right through the defense and get a close shot that he didn't miss. Just 25 seconds later, Isaac Lewens pushed the puck ahead to Cooper Zastrow and his right-to-left shot got inside the post. At 5:40, Medford turned the puck over in neutral ice, giving Tyler Baars an uncontested breakaway, which he converted.
After Medford killed off a Mosinee power play, Yirkovsky's drop pass set up Marek Kijonka's goal at 12:56 for a 4-0 Mosinee lead. The Indians outshot Medford 22-2 in the first period.
Yirkovsky set up another Kijonka goal just 24 seconds into the second period. Mosinee goal Aiden Karst stopped one of Medford's best scoring chances of the night 4:45 into the period, a close shot from Tucker Phillips. Not long after that, at 5:38, Zastrow got his second goal off a Gavin Kesy assist to make it 6-0 and bring an early start to the running clock. Spencer Lemke scored at 8:44 off assists from Baars and Kijonka.
Jaxston Malzahn took over in net for Medford in third period after Talan Albers recorded 28 saves in the first two periods. He had a handful of nice stops in the opening moments, but Mosinee broke through with a Noah Zebro goal at 3:15, which was followed by a Brandon Rasmussen goal 30 seconds later. A long wrist shot by Daniel DeCaluwe found the back of the net at 12:08 to finally end the scoring for the visitors.
Malzahn had 10 saves in the period as Mosinee finished with a 48-7 advantage in shots on goal. Karst and Andrew Lingl split goaltending duties with Karst getting the start and five saves. Medford had one power play in the third period. Mosinee was one for two.
The Raiders (1-5 GNC, 3-15 overall) are back on home ice tonight, Thursday, hosting Shawano-Bonduel in nonconference play. Medford lost an earlyseason matchup to the Hawks in Shawano 8-2. On Friday, the Raiders will head northwest to face the Frederic Blizzard Coop, a team that beat them 5-2 on Dec. 20.
The Great Northern Conference tournament will start Tuesday, even though Medford still has a home game to make up with Northland Pines on Feb. 6. The Raiders will be on the road at a site to be determined. This year’s season-ending tournament is expected to be the last as the GNC plans to go back to a double round-robin format next year.
All upcoming games start at 7 p.m.
