Gowey on a scoring tear as Raiders win one and lose one

MEDFORD BOYS HOCKEY

Connor Gowey scored four goals for the third time this season, leading a relentless offensive effort by Medford Tuesday that finished off the Shawano Co-op with four third-period goals in a 9-4 nonconference win. The Raiders spent some time in the penalty box in a tightly-officiated game, but they did not allow any power-play goals and scored two of their own in the third period while improving to 4-8 for the year.

Along with the strong finish, Medford started strong, pouring in three firstperiod goals. The only problem was the Hawks did the same in forging a 3-3 tie through the first 17 minutes. The Raiders outscored the home team 6-1 the rest of the way, including a run of four in a row that put it away.

In all, six different players scored goals, including freshman Cole Pernsteiner, who got his first high school goal 3:53 into the second period to give Medford the lead for good. He was assisted by Tucker Phillips, who had three assists in the win. Logan Koski got the second goal of the season and his career with that one coming 10:35 into the third and giving Medford a 7-3 lead.

Shawano got the game’s first goal from Louis Hrabik at 8:35, but Phillips tied it just 25 seconds later with an unassisted score. Gowey got his first goal at 11:09, which was assisted by Isaac Schaefer. Gavin Hundt answered for the Hawks at 13:32, but Gowey came back off a Miles Searles assist at 15:03. Shawano tied it right back up with nine seconds left in the period, getting an unassisted goal from Hunter Jones.

Gowey secured his hat trick 39 seconds after Pernsteiner’s goal to put Medford up 5-3, which is where the game stayed through the second intermission.

After playing short-handed for much of the second period and the start of the third, Medford took advantage of its own power play chance 7:54 into the third with Schaefer scoring off a Phillips assist. Phillips and Jake Noland assisted on Koski’s goal. Hundt scored for the Hawks 17 seconds after Koski’s goal at 10:52, but Noah Machon pushed the lead back to four with a Schaefer assist at 12:39 and Gowey finished it off by scoring a powerplay goal with one second left with assists from Mason Harris and Schaefer.

Talan Albers collected 26 saves in the win, including 12 in the third period. Blake Knope also had 26 saves for the Hawks.

The Raiders are finally back on home ice tonight, Thursday, after more than three weeks away. At 7 p.m., they’ll host a Northland Pines team that seems to be building momentum after a slow start. The Eagles beat Antigo in overtime Thursday and tied a solid Ashland squad 6-6 on Tuesday. From there, Medford heads to Merrill for the annual two- day tournament hosted by Wausau East-Merrill co-op. The Raiders will play GNC rival Rhinelander at 6 p.m. Friday in round one. Jeffers, Mich. and the home team meet at 8 p.m. The losers play at 11 a.m. on Saturday and the winners square off at 1 p.m.

The Raiders host Mosinee on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in a tough GNC contest before hosting a rematch with Shawano on Jan. 19.

Hodags 8, Raiders 3

Gowey had a hat trick, but Rhinelander’s Joey Belanger scored four goals and the Hodags were the fresher team in a five-goal third period that broke open their 8-3 win Thursday on the Hodags’ home ice.

Rhinelander, who came into the game ranked fourth in the most recent Division 2 state poll, put plenty of pressure on Medford’s defense with 66 shots on goal. Albers stopped 58 of them, but eventually that pressure took its toll after the Raiders had gotten through the first two periods down just 3-2.

“In the second period we had the puck in their zone a lot more,” Medford head coach Galen Searles said afterwards. “Their goaltender was kicking out some rebounds and some opportunities were there. Connor rung one off the post. That would’ve tied it up. We beat them in the second period. We just came out in the third and they had the legs and our legs weren’t there.”

Impressively, Gowey scored two of his goals while Medford was short-handed. The first one just 2:17 into the game gave the Raiders a short-lived 1-0 lead. Gowey picked up the loose puck, carried it into the offensive zone and, Searles said, fired a perfectly-placed low shot to the opposite post that beat Hodag goalie Johnny Turek.

Unfortunately, Rhinelander quickly tied it on the same power play on Belanger’s first goal of the night at 2:48. Leo Losch had the assist and scored Rhinelander’s goahead goal at 4:27. Losch added another at 8:41 to put the Hodags up 3-1. Rhinelander outshot Medford 20-12 in the opening period.

While the puck was in Rhinelander’s zone more often in the second period, the Raiders were credited with just three shots on goal. One of them came off Gowey’s stick on a scramble in the front of the net and it got by Turek to cut the deficit to 3-2 at the 12:58 mark. Noland and Gavin Phillips were credited with the assists.

A penalty with two seconds left in the period carried into the third and the Hodags took immediate advantage at 28 seconds with Belanger sneaking in a high shot by Albers’ left shoulder. Losch had the assist. At 2:11, Belanger pushed the puck across the blue line where AJ Turek was able to beat Medford’s defense to it and scored. Medford was unable to clear the puck at 5:08 and Belanger made the Raiders pay, making it 6-2. Just 1:14 later, Layne Roeser zipped a hard shot past Albers. Belanger’s fourth goal came on a power play and was an easy tap-in at the doorstep, set up by Losch and Sam Schneider at 13:48.

Gowey got his final goal with Medford short-handed with 17 seconds left in the game, beating Turek glove side with an assist from Miles Searles. It was Gowey’s third hat trick of the season, following four-goal games against the Chequamegon Co-op and Waupaca.

The Medford Alumni Hockey Association’s 20th annual alumni games were a huge success on Friday, Dec. 23, drawing large numbers of fans and alumni players despite a nasty winter storm.

The event raised funds for youth hockey, building maintenance at the Simek Recreation Center and the association’s senior scholarships. The event again featured two games with game one geared toward a slower pace and the second one being a fast-paced competitive contest between the red (even graduation years) and white (odd graduation years) squads.

The successful event was made possible through the efforts of the players, fans, many volunteers, youth hockey parents, Medford high school girls hockey, EMTs, Nestle Pizza and other businesses that donated for the raffle baskets. Those efforts help continue the promotion of youth hockey, figure skating and high school hockey in the community.

Connor Gowey

Medford’s Shane Kiselicka tries to keep a Rhinelander Hodag from getting to the puck during Thursday’s loss.BOB MAINHARDT/NORTHWOODS RIVER NEWS

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