For the Tomahawk Leader
EAGLE RIVER – The Tomahawk Hatchet boys’ hockey team visited Eagle River to take on Northland Pines on Tuesday, Jan. 26, and ended up on the wrong side of a 12 to 0 shutout.
Head coach Chris Bembinster said his squad did not play up to its abilities in the tough loss.
“Our season, I think, is starting to get the best of us,” he said after the game. “We talked a little tonight about the love of the game, or the love of the win. We, as a team, need to find the love of the game, and embrace it more than ever right now. This is a very young group that has matured a lot this year, but we still have some immediate hurdles to overcome. All we can do is work hard in practice, and prepare for our next game.”
The Hatchets headed to Waupaca for a road game on Thursday, Jan. 28 and fell 11 to 1.
Bembinster said he and the other coaches were happy with the team’s performance, noting they ran a play in the first period that they had only practiced once before.
“It took a little to run it correctly, but they came through as the period progressed,” he stated.
Bembinster noted their opponents didn’t run up the score on the Hatchets, saying Waupaca’s coaches have character.
“These kids also came through running the power play tonight, taking control and doing it with patience,” Bembinster said. “We generated some real quality shots because we moved the puck. (The) score was lopsided, but we asked them to try some new things, and with our team, they executed really well.”
Tomahawk traveled to Medford on Monday, Feb. 1. The Hatchet skaters skaters are set to travel to Eagle River to face Northland Pines in a regional matchup on Thursday, Feb. 4. Opening puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. Ticket vouchers are required to attend the game.