For the Tomahawk Leader
RHINELANDER – The Tomahawk Hatchet hockey team kicked off its season with one win and one loss.
Rhinelander
The Hatchets’ first game of the season was a road matchup in Rhinelander. Tomahawk ultimately fell by a score of 8-4.
Coach Chris Bembinster said the showdown with the Hodags was “a tale of two games.”
“Our first period was really good,” he stated, adding that the team did a lot of the small things correctly.
Bembinster said although the Tomahawk skaters were “caught watching Rhinelander play” in the second period, they “fought back and showed we can compete” in the third period.
“We will learn a lot from the second, and the whole game,” he noted. “Not the start we were looking for, but we did get to see some very good things that we will build on.”
Shawano
On Saturday, Dec. 3, the Hatchets traveled to Shawano, where they earned their first win of the season, taking down the Hawks by a score of 9-1.
Bembinster said the team played well in the first period after making some small adjustments, and in the second, the Hatchets only gave up one goal.
“(The) third period was fun to watch, as we moved the puck very well,” he stated. “The team became very focused as the game progressed.”
Despite only having eight players on the score sheet, the team displayed a “great overall performance,” Bembinster added.
Upcoming games
The Hatchets are slated to travel to Stevens Point to take on Pacelli on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
On Thursday, Dec. 8, the Hatchets will host Medford at the SARA Park Ice Arena for their first home game of the season. Opening puck drop is at 7 p.m.