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CL 8, Princeton 3

Seniors Colton Horak and Max Koch assisted on three goals each to lead the Wildcats boys’ hockey team to an 8-3 thrashing of the Princeton Tigers on Thursday, January 8 at Chisago Lakes Arena.  The Wildcats outshot  the Tigers 45-19.

Cooper Toepper opened the scoring with a goal at 7:27 of the first period, assisted by Colton Whiterabbit and Horak.  Just under two minutes later, Nolan LeVasseur scored to double the Wildcat lead to 2-0, with Koch picking up the single assist.  The Tigers scored on a penalty shot four minutes into the second period to cut the Wildcat lead to 2-1 , but Quin Ryan answered with a goal 43 seconds later, assisted by Ashton Warnke and Koch.  The Wildcats put the game out of reach with three more goals in the second period – from Jacob Kletti, assisted by LeVasseur and Horak; from Zach Carlson on a power play, assisted by Toepper and Landon Kerkow; and from Horak, assisted by Koch and LeVasseur, to make it 6-1.  After Princeton scored a minute into the third period, the Wildcats added two more goals.  Whiterabbit and Horak assisted on Austin Slettom’s goal, and Warnke scored the final Wildcat goal of the game, assisted by Ryan.  Princeton scored a late goal to make the final 8-3.

Chisago Lakes 8, St. Paul Highland Park/Central 3

The Wildcats beat the St. Paul Highland Park/Central Scots 8-3 – the exact same score by which they beat Princeton two nights earlier.  But what makes it even more strange is that they also outshot the Scots by the exact same numbers as they did against Princeton – 45-19. Has it ever happened that the score and shots were exactly the same two games in a row?  Who knows.  But, most importantly, the Wildcats improved their record to 9-4-2.  

Eight different players scored for the Wildcats (no, not the same eight players).  Sophomore Ryder Danielson scored his first career goal to open the scoring seven minutes into the first period, assisted by Max Koch and Zach Carlson. And, with 15 seconds left in the period, goalie Jacob Schaeppi picked up an assist on Colton Whiterabbit’s goal, with Cooper Toepper getting the other assist.

Koch scored three minutes into the second period, assisted by Dylan Cuffel and Carlson, to make it 3-0.  The Scots final got on the scoreboard midway through the period.  But Jacob Kletti answered at 10:28, with assists going to Colton Horak and Austin Slettom, to stretch the Wildcat lead back to three.  And it only took 40 seconds to make it a four-goal lead, as Slettom put one in the back of the net, assisted by Horak and Kletti.  After the Scots scored again, Cuffel scored his second goal of the season.  Nick Hansen and Koch got the assists, and the Wildcats led 6-2 after two periods.

The Wildcats scored two more goals in the third period.  Koch and Kletti assisted on Nolan LeVasseur’s goal.  And six seconds after the Scots scored, Horak scored the game’s final goal, assisted by Kletti and Slettom, to make the final score 8-3.

Hockey Hullaballoo

•Max Koch is tied for eighth in the state with 24 assists.

•The 16th-ranked Wildcats will welcome the Monticello Moose to Chisago Lakes Arena tomorrow night for a 7 p.m. matchup.  The teams tied 3-3 earlier this season.  And on Tuesday, January 20 at 7 p.m., the Wildcats will play the Simley Spartans at Chisago Lakes Arena.

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