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Renkes plays hero in an overtime win

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After two periods of domination by the visiting Medford Raiders, the Northland Pines girls hockey team stormed back with two third-period goals and an overtime winner by Avery Renkes to power past Medford 4-3 in the season opener last Tuesday in Eagle River. 

Adversity late in the game isn’t anything new for the Eagles, as it scored overtime game-winners in three of its last four games last season. 

To kick the scoring off this year, Reese Retallick took one herself and buried the puck for a 1-0 lead at 8:46 of the opening period. 

From there, Medford regained momentum and stole the lead right back with two unanswered goals to take a 2-1 lead into the second. 

“Medford came here with just ten skaters and took us out of our game,” said first-year head coach Jeff Stebbeds. “We had to light a little fire and change some things.”

Those changes came in the final frame as the visiting Raiders scored the lone goal of the second period to extend their lead to two, 3-1. 

Medford dominated the shots category 28-7, but that didn’t stop Pines from making one last charge that changed the game.

With 13:14 left in the third period, Mia Tulowitzky scored for Pines to cut the deficit to 3-2. The home crowd exploded about 1:15 later when Ella Coca scored to tie it at three. The tying goal forced an extra period, which ended in celebration for the Eagles.

With 4:51 left in the extra period, the Eagles skated on the powerplay and Renkes lit the lamp one last time for the unassisted game-winner. 

  “It’s a young team and we only have two seniors so we have a lot to teach and there will be some growing pains during the season,” noted Stebbeds. “When we were down 3-1, we asked them in the locker room if we were going to come out and take it to Medford and that’s what they did. I’m just happy to walk out of here with a ‘W.’”

Pines freshman goalie Lacy Nowak finished the game with 32 saves.

The team plays next on Friday, December 6, at 6 p.m., against Houghton-Hancock at the Houghton County Arena in Hanock, Mich. The Eagles will also play the next day, Saturday, December 7, at home against Chippewa Falls at 1 p.m.  

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