December 13, 2017 at 2:13 p.m.
Northern Edge knocks off Medford 8-0
Northern Edge knocks off Medford 8-0
The Edge racked up 70 shots and blasted Medford 8-0 in a Great Northern Conference contest at the Simek Recreation Center.
"We played pretty well," Rhinelander/Antigo coach Kevin Sandstrom said. "It was a nice game. Pretty early on this was one we felt like we were capable of dominating and we had to go and take care of business. We did that. We marked off our last two preseason goals for the early part of the season - to get a conference win and get a conference shutout."
Payton Bunnell had a hat trick for the Edge (2-5-1, 1-0-0-1 Great Northern) while Madi Losch and Lauren Kefalinos both scored twice in the contest.
The Edge had not outshot a team through the first seven games of the season and was averaging only 14.3 shots on goal per contest. That changed in a big way Tuesday.
"That's something we wanted to change, we expected to change and after the first period, it was 25-3. We were just really controlling the pace of play," Sandstrom said.
Losch started the scoring for the Northern Edge 3:33 into the contest on a breakaway goal and then assisted Bunnell's first marker less than a minute later. Bunnell scored her second off an assist from Evelyn LeVeque on the power play at the 8:10 mark.
Bunnell tacked on her third 14 seconds into the second period.
"After losing (Kourtney) Carrico (wrist), who was a leader, our leading scorer last year and another captain, to see the way Payton has really stepped up the game, on and off the ice, has really been a lot of fun to watch," Sandstrom said. "She was a great leader for us last year. She's not only carried that over, but improved upon it. Now she's leading on the scoreboard as well."
Losch scored her second a short time later and Kefalinos scored off a Jade Forster assist at the 8:33 mark of the period.
Senior defender Ellen Padgett scored her first goal of the season on a short-handed play at the 12:31 mark to round out the scoring in the second.
"She picked off a pass at the blue line, made a nice defensive play," Sandstrom said. "She was able to pick it off with speed, used that speed and when right around their defense. She had an easy 1-on-0 and she buried it."
Kefalinos scored once more, 1:04 into the third, in a period played under a running clock with the Edge up by more than six goals. Sandstrom said he used the final to period to get some more ice for the team's third line.
"The third was a chance to use them as regular rotation and we got some really high scoring chances from girls like Bailey Novy, Haley Thom and Claire Arbuckle," he said. "Unfortunately, they weren't able to get one in, but they all had point-blank chances in front of the net. I think everyone was looking to get them that goal."
Alicia Turunen stopped 12 shots to earn her first career variety shutout.
"Even though she only faced 12 shots all game, she made three or four really good saves. She definitely helped earn the shutout," Sandstrom said.
The Edge returns home Thursday to take on Wisconsin Valley Union - the conglomerate of Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield and Waupaca. Faceoff is slated for 5 p.m. at the Rhinelander Ice Arena.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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