Area Boys Hockey: Hirsch's hat trick powers Flyers past Lightning

LITTLE FALLS-Gabe Hirsch netted a hat trick for the Little Falls Flyers who skated past the Northern Lakes Lightning 9-1 in a game between Section 6-1A schools Tuesday, Dec. 18.

After a scoreless first period, the Flyers broke the game open with five goals in the second including four in less than a 4-minute span. The Flyers also tallied three goals in 55 seconds in the third.

Matt Filippi contributed two goals for the Flyers while Nicholas Stevens, George Moore, Lucas Rekstad and Ethan Ballou each had one.

Tucker Jobe netted the only score for the Lightning on a power play.

Little Falls outshot Northern Lakes 33-13 with Flyer goalie Dane Couture recording 12 saves. Lightning goalie Sam LeMieur stopped 24 shots.

Little Falls 0 5 4-9

Northern Lakes 0 1 0-1

Second period: LF-Matt Filippi (Robby Kuchinski-Helgeson, Lucas Rekstad) 3:44; LF-Gabe Hirsch (Josh Jennings, George Moore) ppg 6:12; LF-Nicholas Stevens (Hirsch, Tauer Morrison) 7:50; NL-Tucker Jobe (Josh Lewica, Caiden Kjelstrom) ppg 8:25; LF-Moore (Filippi, Helgeson) 9:28; LF-Hirsch (Jennings) 9:50

Third period: LF-Rekstad 4:40; LF-Filippi (Helgeson) 5:10; LF-Ethan Ballou (Nolan Bjorge, Morrison) 5:35; LF-Hirsch (Stevens) 11:47

Shots on goal: NL 13, LF 33

Goalies: NL-Sam LeMieuer (24 saves); LF-Dane Couture (12 saves)

Overall: LF 5-4, NL 0-5-1. Next: Northern Lakes vs. Park Rapids at Walker 7 p.m. Thursday Dec 20; Cambridge-Isanti at Little Falls 7:15 p.m. Friday Dec 21.

PC 6, Wadena-DC 3

WADENA-Cooper Reed's goal for Wadena-Deer Creek early in the third period tied the score 3-3, but the Prairie Centre North Stars netted the next three scores to defeat the Wolverines 6-3 in a Mid-State Conference game Tuesday, Dec. 18.

Colby Schertler and Max Phillips also found the net for WDC which was outshot 39-15.

Wolverine goalie Josh Dykhoff stopped 33 shots.

Prairie Centre 2 1 3-6

Wadena-DC 2 0 1-3

First period: PC-Hunter Fletcher (Brady Miller) 3:04; WDC-Colby Schertler (Max Phillips) 5:35; PC-Eli Fletcher (Cole Crosby) 10:19; WDC-Phillips 11:31

Second period: PC-Jacob Imdieke (Cody Wolbeck) 7:31

Third period: WDC-Cooper Reed (John Oberg) 1:54; PC-Fletcher (Ian Gould) ppg 8:36; PC-Preston Sorenson (Crosby, Fletcher) 8:55; PC-Gould (Brady Miller) ppg 15:28

Shots on goal: WDC 15, PC 39

Goalies: WDC-Josh Dykhoff (33 saves); PC-Isaiah DeFoe (12 saves)

Conference: WDC 0-2-1. Overall: WDC 4-5-1. Next: River Lakes at Wadena-Deer Creek 7 p.m. Friday Dec 21.