Hudson Boys Hockey Team Loses Sectional Game in Superior

Wessman Arena was nearly at capacity on Tuesday, Feb. 22, as the Hudson Raiders visited the Superior Spartans for a WIAA Sectional semifinal matchup.

The Raider faithful were in full force dressed up in a variety of costumes including Scooby Doo, a horse, and ketchup and mustard among others.

The fans traded cheers off the ice as the players traded checks and shots on goal.

The Spartans' first goal came at 8:52 of the first period while Raiders senior defenseman Spencer Korum was in the penalty box for a cross check.

Spartans forward Joel Broberg used the one-player advantage to give his team a 1-0 lead, firing the puck past Raiders junior goaltender Matt Strachota.

Broberg was assisted by senior forward Taylor Olson and junior defenseman Brady Uotinen.

Just 50 seconds later, the Raiders were one player down again with junior defenseman Josh Dardine serving two minutes for interference.

Just 23 seconds in to the power play, Spartans forward Nolan Holcombe flipped the puck over the top of Strachota and off the cross-bar  into the net for a two-goal lead. Sophomore forward Daniel Litchke picked up the lone assist.

The Raiders had some short-handed attempts in the early minutes of the second period, including a shot off the pipe. The Raiders even had a two-man advantage for more than a minute and they still found themselves trailing midway through the second period.

The Raiders continued to pepper Spartans junior goaltender Scott Crawford with shots, but had no success.

Head coach Mike Stoskopf, said it was frustrating to not be able to score.

“I give their goalie lots of credit,” Stoskopf said.

At 14:16 of the second period, Superior junior forward Gerald Mikel gave the Spartans a 3-0 lead to take into the third period. Mikel was assisted by his triplet brothers Richard Mikel and Steven Mikel.

Entering the third period, the Raiders were outshooting the Spartans 25 to 12. 

At 6:06 of the third period, Litchke added to the Spartans lead scoring on a breakway. He was assisted by Trent Olson.

With just under five minutes to play, Spartans junior defenseman Brett Bukowski scored an unassisted power-play goal giving the Spartans a 5-0 lead.

With a two-man advantage, the Spartans scored with Holcombe’s second goal of the night assisted by Litchke and Uotinen, which is how the game would end, 6-0 Spartans.

“We just struggled on the penalty kill," Stoskopf said. “We outplayed them, it’s funny to say that you outplayed them when you lose 6-0.”

Earlier this season the Raiders lost 5-2 to the Spartans and used that game as a learning experience for tonight’s matchup.

When asked what he told the players following the loss, Stoskopf’s response was simple.

“I told them that we are proud of them,” he said. “They left everything on the ice and that’s all that we can ask for.”