Hutchinson dropped unbeaten and state-ranked Providence Academy 3-2 Thursday at Burich Arena.
The Lions, the No. 4 team in Minnesota Hockey Hub rankings by the Star Tribune, came into the game 4-0 and outscoring their opponents 33-10.
The Tigers were 1-1 entering the contest. Hutchinson opened its season with a 6-3 loss at Willmar, before rebounding with a 3-1 win over Minnesota River Dec. 6.
All three games were in non-conference play. Hutchinson will have its first Wright County Conference game Saturday at Delano.
Hutchinson also had a full roster on the ice after many players who were committed to Prep Bowl football joined the team last week.
The game started seemingly slow as neither team put the puck in net. It was also a fairly clean game, as Hutchinson was sent to the penalty box twice, and Providence Academy three times. All penalties were two-minute minors.
Hutchinson got on the board first at 2:51 into the second period. Senior forward Karsen Niska appeared to feed his senior captain A.J. Ladwig on a breakaway. All alone, and no help for Providence, the Tiger senior forward put one right through the skates of Lions backstop Nate Miest for a short-handed goal.
From there, Hutchinson seemed to loosen up and find momentum after taking on Providence attackers in their own zone for most of the first period.
“We talked about it. We need to make sure we’re getting pucks out when we get chances. We had to be a little more physical with them. Some of the guys are coming off the football field and hitting everything they see,” Tigers head coach Matt Telecky said, laughing, outside the door of a raucous Hutchinson locker room. “I thought the guys did a really good, smart job tonight.”
Providence countered 11 minutes later when Louie Wehmann got one past Tiger sophomore Lukas Heilman.
The third period proved exciting to watch. Sophomore Toren Miller found the back of the net for Hutchinson to take the lead just 2:37 into the period. Fellow sophomore, defenseman Manny Pearce, was credited with the helper as Hutchinson claimed a 2-1 lead.
Forty seconds later, freshman Clayton Witte was officially credited with a goal that seemingly came off the stick of sophomore and fellow forward Easton Mallak. The score was 3-1, Hutchinson, with the crowd buzzing in the building.
The Lions’ Wehmann scored again on Heilman with 11:55 remaining, but the sophomore net minder let nothing get past him the rest of the way. Heilman finished with 33 saves.
“Goaltender (Heilman) was awesome,” Telecky said. “He did a great job all night. Lukas came up with two or three really big saves for us and it’s for those guys, too. They haven’t seen a ton of pucks (this year) yet. You just can’t simulate game stuff.” Telecky said of his goalie.
Hutchinson, 3-1 overall, followed up the Thursday win with a 4-0 win over River Lakes Saturday at Burich.
