December 7, 2022 at 11:51 a.m.
Edge blasts Pines for first win of season
Edge blasts Pines for first win of season
Taylor Heleniak registered four goals while linemates Wyndi Saari and Kristiina Kunelius each scored twice as the Edge rolled over the Eagles 10-4 at the Rhinelander Ice Arena.
The Edge had been 1-7 against the Eagles since Lakeland joined the co-op that includes Rhinelander, Antigo, Three Lakes and Wabeno back in 2019 - with that win coming on the road back in January 2020. It was the Edge's first home win over Northland Pines since 2015. It also marked the most goals and the largest margin of victory for an Edge team against Northland Pines.
"It feels good to get in the win column," Northern Edge coach Tom Roeser said. "We almost put a full game together that we're happy with and finally put a few pucks in the back of the net. That was big for us."
Despite having only 12 players suited up on Monday due to injuries, the Edge (1-4-0) started fast. The team scored four times in the first period and three in the second to build a 7-0 lead after two periods.
Power plays were key for the Edge. They were 4 of 7 with the skater advantage. All four power-play goals came in the first two periods.
There was another common theme among the goals in the first two stanzas. All seven came from the team's top line of Heleniak, Saari and Kunelius - which finished the night with 16 total points.
"We got a lot of opportunities for some power plays, and that's our power play line too. They were moving the puck well," Roeser said.
Kunelius, a senior from Lakeland, got the scoring started just 2:22 into the contest as she converted a 2-on-1 chance from Saari on the power play. It was just the fifth goal of her high school career. She would get No. 6 late in the second period, finishing a power play chance from Heleniak.
"She got in front of the net. She caught the puck and got some shots off," coach Roeser said. "It started with catching those passes. I'm hoping that's going to roll over to the rest of the season - and it's not just for Kristiina, but for all of us. She did a really nice job getting in front, getting her stick on the ice."
The Edge scored in bunches Monday night as it peppered Northland Pines' goalie Jenna Uhrine with 47 shots. Heleniak put the Edge up 2-0 on the power play at the 5:43 mark of the first and Saari made it 3-0 on a third-chance rebound goal in front of the net just 25 seconds later. Heleniak, a junior from Lakeland, added another on the power play at the 11:07 mark as the Edge took a 4-0 lead after a period.
It took only 14 seconds for the Edge to add on to the advantage in the second as Saari, a Rhinelander senior, scored on a backhander off a Heleniak centering pass through the crease.
"I thought the first goal of the second period where we immediately regrouped, went down and went backdoor on (Uhrine), that was a big deal for us," coach Roeser said. "That's not typically how we score goals, but I was really glad to see it. When you face good goalies, that's how you've got to score."
Heleniak completed a hat trick, and sent the game to running time at the 2:03 mark of the second on a rebound goal. She would add her fourth of the night, and team-best eighth goal of the season, 2:15 into the third period.
Mallory Schmidt and Hailey Krznarich each scored twice for the Eagles (0-5-0) as Pines finally found some offensive live in the final stanza. Schmidt scored just eight seconds into the third, but the Edge quickly answered as Rhinelander junior Emma Chiamulera deflected in a shot from the blue line by senior Lakeland defender Maria Gironella at the 1:46 mark. Heleniak scored 29 seconds later to put the Edge up 9-1.
Pines scored three unanswered goals from there, including a Schmidt score with 1:18 remaining to bring the game out of run time with the margin back under six goals.
"I never put anything past Pines. If we had (a lead of) five in the third period, I would not have felt comfortable, just because I know when Schmidt gets going and gets lose, she's got a good shot, she's fast and she's good with the puck," Coach Roeser said.
The Edge got it back to a six-goal margin as Rhinelander sophomore defender Emalee Detienne scored from the point with less than 20 seconds to play.
Hannah Mueller made 15 saves for the Edge. The Rhinelander junior picked up her first win of the year and first in net since the 2020-21 season.
The Edge is in the midst of a key stretch of games against teams that could wind up jockeying for the No. 4 seed in the WIAA sectional come the end of the season. The team skates against Wisconsin Valley Union this coming Monday in Antigo before traveling to Medford Dec. 20.
"I think we can play really competitive in the next few games," coach Roeser said. "I told them earlier in the season that we're going to come on a stretch where these games are really important. You don't realize that when the game's happening, but when you go to that seeding meeting at the end of the year it could be a matter of traveling to Superior or Hayward or maybe, possibly hosting (a playoff game). I think it's a big deal and I'm hoping we get some confidence, go on a little run and just keep getting better every week."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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