Searles gets five goals in two games, including OT winner at Viroqua

MEDFORD BOYS HOCKEY

Sophomores Logan Koski and Mason Harris scored the first goals of their highschool careers and Miles Searles got two, including the game-winner in overtime to seal Medford’s 4-3 win over the host Viroqua Co-op Friday night.

Searles got the clincher just 1:12 into overtime for his second unassisted goal of the game, capping Medford’s comeback from an early 2-0 deficit.

The win pushed Medford’s overall record to 3-7 as the Raiders head into a busy month of January that includes four Great Northern Conference games, two matchups with the Shawano Co-op, the annual two-day tournament in Merrill and the start of the GNC’s end-of-season tournament.

Despite having to kill off seven power plays, Medford still outshot the now 2-8 Blackhawks 31-27, including a 13-10 firstperiod edge. However, Viroqua ended that opening period with a two-goal lead thanks to scores from Gavyn Hansen off a Jack Dahl assist just 2:11 in and from Dahl at 15:45 with assists from Collin Simonson and Landen Starr. Medford killed two power plays in between the goals.

Viroqua outshot Medford 14-9 in the second period, but the Raiders got the only goal. Just 2:14 in, Koski got the goal with a Noah Machon assist to cut the deficit in half.

The Raiders kept the momentum by getting the tying goal from Searles 3:26 into the third and the go-ahead goal from Harris at 6:41. Searles and Machon were credited with assists.

After more than 33 scoreless minutes, Viroqua tied the game with 2:06 left in regulation. Simonson got the goal with a Hansen assist.

Searles won it on the first shot on goal by either team in the overtime.

Talan Albers had 24 saves for Medford with 14 coming in the second period. Cooper Miller had 27 saves for the Blackhawks.

Medford has a tough GNC matchup tonight, Thursday, at Rhinelander, who enters the week ranked fourth in Wisconsin Prep Hockey’s Division 2 state poll. The Raiders are at Shawano Tuesday before hosting Northland Pines on Jan. 12 with hopes of beating the Eagles for the second straight season. The puck drops for all three games at 7 p.m.

Blizzard 8, Raiders 6

A high-scoring, back-and-forth battle on Dec. 27 ended with the Frederic-based Burnett Blizzard holding off the Raiders 8-6 in non-conference play.

The Raiders held a 4-2 lead late in the second period, but the Blizzard turned the game around with a four-goal surge that carried into the early third period. Medford got within one twice down the stretch, but couldn’t get the equalizer, giving up the final goal into an empty net with 10 seconds left.

Searles had a hat trick for Medford, including a short-handed goal 9:58 into the third that pulled the Raiders within 7-6. His second goal made it 6-5 4:38 into the period.

Isaac Schaefer got the scoring started with an unassisted goal for Medford that was answered by the Blizzard’s Landyn Randt. Searles assisted Connor Gowey on the first goal of the second period, but that was quickly countered by a James Petersen goal. Medford then pushed ahead by two, getting a power-play goal from Searles at 9:16, assisted by Gowey and Tucker Phillips. At 11:03, defenseman Cameron Bull lit the lamp for the Raiders with assists from Phillips and Machon.

But the game turned when the Blizzard took full advantage of a five-onthree situation late in the period, getting power-play goals from Ryder Anderson and Clayton Shutt. Goals by Reese Eichten and Randt in a 23-second span made it 6-4 just 1:44 into the third period.

Albers had 27 saves for the Raiders, who were two for four on power plays. The Blizzard converted on two of six power plays and got 18 saves from Nick Wendland.

The win was the first of the year for the Blizzard after eight losses. They beat the Barron-based Northwest Icemen 2-1 two nights later.