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Chisago Lakes 7, Legacy Christian Academy 0
Thomas Overgaard scored twice in the first period and the Wildcat boys’ hockey team added four more goals in the second as the Wildcats devoured the Legacy Christian Academy Lions 7-0 last Thursday, January 18 at Chisago Lakes Arena.  The Wildcats outshot the Lions 45-13 for the game, including a 23-2 advantage in the second period.  Goalie Brooks Stangl stopped all 13 shots he faced to earn the shutout.

Other Wildcats who made it into the scoring column included Tate Swanson and Logan Bjorkman, who each had a goal and two assists; Jonny Bodell, Adam Hanson and David Kimlinger, who each scored a goal; Sam Helland, with two assists; and Tucker Bakken, Nicholas Lindsey, Jace Meierhoff, who each tallied an assist.  Overgaard also had an assist to go along with his two goals.
 
Chisago Lakes 3, Rogers 2 (O.T.)
Jackson Waltman knocked home the rebound of Thomas Overgaard’s shot 17 seconds into overtime to give the Wildcat boys’ hockey team a 3-2 win over the Rogers Royals Saturday, February 20 at Chisago Lakes Arena. Overgaard scored the Wildcats’ first two goals and now has seven goals and two assists in his last three games.  Shots were nearly even in this one, with the Wildcats holding a 29-28 edge.  The Wildcats were zero for four on the power play and they stopped all three of the Royals’ power play opportunities.  Wildcat goalie Brooks Stangl stopped 26 of the 28 shots he faced to pick up the win.

Overgaard scored just over three minutes into the first period, assisted by Tate Swanson, to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.  The scored stayed that way until Rogers tied it up just two minutes into the third period.  With eight minutes to go in the game and the Wildcats on a power play, one of the Royals picked off a puck at the Rogers bluer line and raced on a breakaway toward the Wildcat net.  A Wildcat defender bothered him from behind, but the Royal player was able to rip a wrist shot from about ten feet in front of the net.  Stangl made a great save to keep the game tied at 1-1.

Rogers broke the tie at 13:19 of the period.  Justin Grudem picked up the puck at center ice, skated just across the blue line above the left circle and fired.  It looked like Stangl was screened as the puck zipped by him and into the back of the net to give the Royals a 2-1 lead.  But the Wildcats answered just 38 seconds later.  Swanson passed the puck to Overgaard, who took a shot about 15 feet out from the left side of the net and snuck it inside the left post to tie the game at 2-2.  In overtime, Overgaard carried the puck over the blue line into the left side of the Royal zone and fired a shot from the top of the left circle.  The Rogers goalie made the save, but left a nice, fat rebound about three feet in front of him.  Waltman jammed it home to give the Wildcats an exciting 3-2 win.

Chisago Lakes 3, St. Paul Johnson 3
Last Saturday night’s game between the Wildcat boys’ hockey team and the St. Paul Johnson Governors will not be remembered as a graceful, elegant affair.  With 18 penalties called between the two teams – including a number of roughing, cross-checking and checking from behind infractions -- it wasn’t often they were even skating 5-on-5.  

The Governors outshot the Wildcats 45-21 for the game, but the Wildcats converted two of eight power play opportunities and killed off eight of the nine Johnson power plays.  Wildcat goalie Brooks Stangl had a great night in the nets, stopping 42 of the 45 shots he faced.  So, when this bar room brawl of a game was over, it was a 3-3 tie.  The game was played at Chisago Lakes Arena.

Chase Hemme scored the only goal of the first period on a power play with 49 seconds remaining, assisted by Jackson Waltman and Jace Meierhoff, to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.  The Governors outshot the Wildcats 18-3 in just the second period, but Stangl and the rest of the Wildcats weathered the storm.  The Governors scored at even strength about halfway through the period to tie the game at 1-1.  Tate Swanson put one in the back of the net at 12:23 of the period, with Adam Hanson picking up the assist, to put the Wildcats back in front at 2-1.  Johnson scored twice in the first four minutes of the third period, including once on the power play, to go up 3-2.  Meierhoff scored an unassisted goal at 5:53 to tie the game at 3-3.  In the eight-minute overtime, the Governors outshot the Wildcats 6-1 and the Wildcats had to kill one last penalty to hang on for the exhausting, but at least somewhat satisfying, tie.
 
Hockey Hullaballoo
The Wildcats, who are 6-11-3 overall and 2-2-1 since the coaching change, will take on the North Branch Vikings this Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Chisago Lakes Arena.  

The Vikings thrashed the Wildcats 7-3 January 6, which was the first game for the Wildcats after they changed coaches.  With the Wildcats playing better hockey and getting good goaltending as of late-- and the Vikings (15-5) enjoying the best season in school history-- it should be a game worth watching.  Monday, February 5, the Wildcats will shuffle off to Buffalo to play the Bison at the Buffalo Civic Center at 7 p.m.

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