SAUK RAPIDS, Minn. — When the Wisconsin Woodsmen took the ice Saturday evening for their
NA3HL rematch against the Granite City Lumberjacks, a fast start was paramount to success.
And fast start there was.
Unfortunately, it was the Lumberjacks who got off to the sizzling start, erupting for three first-
period goals en route to a 6-1 victory at the Miller Buick GMC Arena — and a weekend sweep
of the Woodsmen.
Granite City — 4-2 winners over Wisconsin on Friday at the Tomah Ice Arena — grabbed control
from the opening face-off, getting first-period goals by Gavin Sperling, Ty Smith, and Evan
Hinnenka to take a three-goal cushion into the first intermission.
After being outshot 13-3 in the opening 20 minutes, the Woodsmen got their offense shifted
out of neutral in the middle frame, getting a goal from Brodie Micah at 7:20 to cut the
Lumberjacks’ lead to two, 3-1. Smith, however, beat Woodsmen goalie Logan Blahnik for the
second time with 27 seconds remaining to extend Granite City’s lead back to three with 20
minutes to play in regulation.
The Lumberjacks continued to put the pedal to the metal in the third period, as Smith
completed his hat trick with goal No. 3 at 10:44 and Mason Ray chipped in his first of the
season with 3:52 to play to seal the Granite City victory.
Blahnik, making his first start between the pipes for the Woodsmen, finished with 24 saves,
while Granite City netminder Evan Geyen kicked out 13 of Wisconsin’s 14 shots on goal.
The Woodsmen (1-5-0-0) are back in action next weekend, squaring off against the West Bend
Power for a pair of NA3HL matchups. The two teams will drop the puck at 7:15 p.m. on Friday
at the Tomah Ice Center, before heading to the Kettle Moraine Ice Arena in Kettle Moraine,
Wis., for the 7:15 p.m. rematch the following day.
