New Richmond boys hockey faces Superior Tuesday in sectional semifinals
Senior Nick Johnson was a powerful physical presence in New Richmond's playoff win over Menomonie. Dave Newman / RiverTown MultimediaAnyone needing proof whether the New Richmond boys hockey team was playoff ready got their answer when the Tigers hosted Menomonie last Thursday.
The Tigers delivered a powerful performance in thumping Menomonie 8-1 in the regional final. This win moved the third-seeded Tigers into Tuesday's sectional semifinal game at Superior. The winner of Tuesday's game will play in the sectional championship game, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday at Amery. The opponent in the sectional final will be the winner of Tuesday's game between Hudson and Baldwin-Woodville.
From the opening faceoff the Tigers swarmed all over Menomonie and never let up. Senior Ben Karno scored 1:40 into the game to get the Tigers rolling. Jens Christensen scored at the 5:49 mark. If Menomonie had any hopes, they were squashed by goals from Cole Thomas and Gabe Bottolfson late in the first period. The Tigers led 4-0 and had a 17-6 shot advantage in the opening period.
The Tigers were equally as controlling in the second period, but it only produced one goal. That came from senior Eric Langer on a power play 12:15 into the period.
The Tigers closed the game with a pair of goals from Nick Johnson in the third period, followed by Langer's second goal of the night.
Johnson and Langer are the Tigers' leading scorers and they both played like it on Thursday, with each of them finishing with four points. One of the key numbers of the night was the four points from Thomas. After a strong start to the season, Thomas' production fell off in the middle of the season. This game was reason for the Tigers to believe he can be an impact player in the rest of the playoffs.
The game at Superior will be live streamed at: Ifan-tv - channel 1
