New Year’s brings new beginning for girl skaters

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After two close losses in the Schwan’s Hockey Cup in Blaine, Minn., the Raider girls hockey team ended their five-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over Cap City on Dec. 31.

Hudson broke into the win column for the first time since Dec. 9 with the 3-2, come-from-behind conquest of Cap City, a cooperative team of schools on the north side of Madison. The Cougars opened the scoring half-way through the first period, but Hudson responded at 13:50 of the first on a goal by Emily Stankevitz, assisted by Brianna Best. Cap City scored in the second to take a lead into the final period.

With less than two minutes in the game, Bonnie Meyer scored a short-handed breakaway goal to tie it. With 19 second left, Stankevitz scored the game-winning goal, on assists from Best and Abby Singerhouse. The Cougars pulled their goalie, but the Hudson skaters kept them out of the offensive zone and sealed the victory. Alise Riedel made 18 saves for Hudson.

The Raiders opened the Schwan’s tournament on Dec. 29 with a 2-1 loss to Prior Lake, Minn. Prior Lake scored first at the 12:40 mark of the first period on a power-play goal. Thirty seconds later, the Raiders responded on a goal by Jessica Tipp-Harden, assisted by Hailie Bennewitz and Alex Willi. The score remained deadlocked until early in the third period, when the Lakers notched their second goal and got a lead. Prior Lake fought off Hudson to claim the win. Riedel stopped 30 shots for the Raiders.

In their second game of the tourney, the Raiders lost to Rogers, Minn., 4-3. Rogers opened the scoring with six minutes left in the first period and took a lead to the locker room. Stankevitz tied the game at 3:35 of the second period, with assists going to Abby Singerhouse and Amy Hutchison.

Rogers scored twice more in the second period, before Erin Anderson talled a goal with about five minutes left in the period to bring the Raiders to within one goal. Assists on Anderson’s goal went to Meyer and Willi. Rogers scored again early in the third, but Hudson responded with six minutes left on a goal by Bennewitz, assisted by Racheal Knoke. Hudson pulled the goalie, but was unable to score, resulting in a 4-3 Rogers victory. Dani Krinke had 34 saves for Hudson.

The Raiders record is 3-7. They were scheduled to play host to the Eau Claire Area Stars on Tuesday, Jan. 6 and Beaver Dam/Randolph on Friday, Jan. 9, then Menomonie on Thursday, Jan. 15. Game time is 7:00 p.m.

(Post-press note: The Raiders were defeated on Tuesday by a score of 5-2.)

Tags: sports, hudson, girls_hockey, raiders