A short-handed Hatchet boys hockey team fell 11-1 to a talented Antigo team on Tuesday, but rallied for a 5-4 overtime triumph at Rhinelander on Thursday.
The Hodags held a 3-1 lead late in the second, but Jakob Panzer scored with :08 left in the second and 1:09 into the third to knot it up. Kole Woodall (A- Panzer) gave THS the edge mid-period, but Rhinelander tallied a short-handed goal in the waning seconds to send it OT. Panzer closed out the win 2:17 into extra time.
“I have one word to describe this game – perseverance,” THS coach Rick Myre said. “Jakob Panzer couldn’t wait to get on the ice, and neither could his teammates, to defend his honor. These kids come together before each period as a team and our pre-game chant was respect! We worked our butts off for this game, we came from behind all night. My team out-worked the bigger Hodag team. We are going to get some respect this year and when I get Ungerer and Osero back we are gonna roll!”
Saves–THS–Dan Hanke 7-11-14-3–35. RHS– Jake Arno 8-15-7-1–30.
Red Robin roll
Sixth-ranked Antigo (13-2-1) tallied seven in the first, and built the lead to 10-0 before Steven Renn (A- Cayton Scholz) broke the shut-out midway through the third.
“Like I told the boys, great things and great people are made from diversity,” Myre said. “I was happy with the play of these younger kids they did their jobs and never gave up. I preach the word team in my locker room, and this whole deal is going to really bring these kids together even tighter.”
Saves–THS–Dan Hanke 17-9-*–26, 10 G, Austin Mindak *-*-9–9, 1 G. AHS– Ryan Schmidt 0-*-*–0, Ben Bartletti *-3-5–8, 1 G.