Pines continues to dominate; Raiders sweep on Saturday

MEDFORD GIRLS HOCKEY

After spending most of Saturday controlling the puck, Medford’s girls hockey team was back to trying to defend their goal as best they could at Northland Pines on Monday.

The Raiders held up well early, but eventually the host Eagles broke the seal and poured it on in their 10-0 victory.

On three occasions –– once in each period –– the Eagles scored quick, backto- back goals to take the wind out of the sails of the Raiders, who fell to 3-8 overall. The Eagles improved to 7-7-1. Northland Pines has never lost to a Medford team.

In the first 10-plus minutes, the Raiders were able to make some pushes into the offensive zone and tie up some sticks and break up passes in the defensive zone to keep the game scoreless.

The Eagles broke through on their 15th shot of the period when Mallory Schmidt passed right to left to Hailey Krznarich, who flipped a backhand shot past Raider goal tender Saige Duesing at 10:46. Just 14 seconds later, Krznarich scored again. Schmidt carried the puck into the offensive zone and passed it to Emma Sima, who centered a pass to Krznarich for the goal. An unassisted breakaway by Kasia Olszewska with 56 seconds left in the period made it 3-0.

Pines outshot Medford 23-2 in the period and had a 12-4 advantage in the second when they upped their lead to 7-0.

Madelyn Harris rebounded a Julia Nesbitt shot at 5:17 and, just 63 seconds later, and after Medford’s Karli Higgins

MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS

was just wide on a breakaway chance, Olszewska converted on her own breakaway. Olszewska capped her hat trick at 9:51 with an assist from Hannah Castillo. Madison Stebbeds got the seventh goal at 11:53 with a Halle Kerner assist.

Olszewska got goal number four 2:28 into the third period on another breakaway, thanks to a nice outlet pass from Cassidy Sternhagen. A minute after that, Krznarich finished her hat trick, scoring at the door step off an Olszewska assist. Allie Kieffer scored off a Sternhagen assist at 6:14.

Duesing finished with 37 saves. Jenna Uhrine had nine for the Eagles, who did not convert on a late power play. Medford had two power-play chances.

The Raiders head south today, Thursday, to take on the Viroqua Co-op at 6 p.m. The Blackhawks beat the Raiders 7-0 back on Dec. 22. They’ll host a strong Chippewa Falls-Menomonie Co-op Jan. 28, also at 6 p.m.

Doubleheader sweep

What was originally hoped to be a weekend quad at the Simek Recreation Center turned into a Saturday doubleheader with the Copper Country U19 squad from Houghton-Hancock, Mich., who the Raiders swept 8-0 and 10-0 in dominant fashion.

Coming off a solid effort against the Brookfield Glacier on Jan. 8, the Raiders controlled the puck throughout both games and were able to be an almost completely offensive mode, something that hasn’t happened often for the girls.

In game one, Medford outshot Copper Country 26-2 in the first period and jumped ahead 3-0. Eryka Seidl got the first goal 7:07 in, punching the puck past goalie Naudia Meneguzzo after a centering pass from Higgins. At 13:54 freshman Sophia Brunner got her first high school goal, sending a shot on net from the blue line that trickled through Megeguzzo’s save attempt. Higgins and Seidl were credited with assists. With 45 seconds left in the 17-minute period, Skylier Krueger picked off a pass and took care of things herself, whistling an unassisted goal into the back of the net. The shot count dropped to 12 in the second period, but the Raiders still put three more goals on the board to ensure a running clock the rest of the way. At 9:35, Delaney Hraby sent in a shot from the right boards and Kyla Kennedy deflected it past Meneguzzo. Higgins also got an assist, her third of the game. Brunner got her second goal at 12:15, again putting a shot on net that just trickled over the goal line. Seidl had the assist. Kennedy scored at 15:17 off a Kristen Brandner assist. Brunner completed her first varsity hat trick with a power-play goal 24 seconds into the third, deflecting a pass from the corner by Kennedy. Brandner had the second assist. Hraby flipped in a shot from the slot with 54 seconds left off a Krueger assist to close the scoring.

The Raiders had a 52-7 edge in shots and converted on one of two power plays. They did not commit a penalty.

Game two was decided quickly. The Raiders scored five goals in the first period and four more in the second and wound up with a 52-3 advantage in shots. Duesing collected 10 saves between the two games to pick up both shutout victories.

Higgins and Krueger both had hat tricks to account for six of the goals in game two. Hraby, Kennedy, Brunner and Jaylin Machon had the other four. Hraby had three assists and Alyssa Brandner, who returned from off-season hip surgery at Brookfield, gave the offense an added boost with two assists.

Hraby got the scoring started, scooping up a clearing attempt by the visitors and blasting it in from the face-off circle to Meneguzzo’s left. Machon had the assist. Krueger scored 1:56 later at close range, assisted by Alyssa and Kristen Brandner. Hraby set up Kennedy for a hard shot and goal at 4:54. Machon also had an assist. Krueger dribbled the puck under Meneguzzo’s right hand at 9:42 off a Hraby assist. Higgins got her first goal of the season with 10 seconds left in the period, scoring off a tough angle from Meneguzzo’s left side. Alyssa Brandner was credited with the assist.

Right off the opening face-off to the second period, Brunner got control of the puck along the left board and fired a shot that got through. Higgins earned the assist. Higgins added her second goal a minute later off a wraparound pass from Krueger. Krueger put the finishing touch on her hat trick at 12:57 receiving a pass from the corner from Kennedy and burying the shot. Higgins finished her hat trick by banging in a rebound at 14:30. Brunner had the assist.

Machon closed the scoring with her first varsity goal 4:05 into the third period, taking a pass from Seidl and putting in a wrist shot from the slot.

MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS

Medford’s Karli Higgins beats a Copper Country skater to the puck as it rolls to the corner during the first period of Saturday’s 8-0 win over the visitors from Houghton-Hancock, Mich.BY MATT FREYSPORTS EDITOR