Kiefer Miller’s hat trick sparked the Park Rapids-Menahga-Nevis-Walker-Hackensack-Akeley boys hockey team to an 8-3 Mid-State Conference win over Northern Lakes at Breezy Point Thursday night.
Goals by Matt DeLaHunt, Connor Kennedy and Miller gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead after the first period. Chase Brand and Kennedy set up DeLaHunt’s goal at the 3:44 mark and Zach Hagen assisted on Kennedy’s goal at the 6:08 mark. Miller followed with a goal at the 9:20 mark.
After the Lightning opened the second period with goals by Nick Reed and Jake Hyytinen, Jarrett Johnson assisted on a goal by Dylan Weaver at the 11:59 mark to give the Panthers a 4-2 lead. Nick Olson cut the gap to 4-3 with a power-play goal before Brand and DeLaHunt set up Kennedy at the 14:45 mark for a 5-3 lead.
The Panthers used a 14-4 advantage in shots in the third period to put the game away. Miller scored a pair of power-play goals at the 1:32 and 5:26 marks before Johnson concluded the scoring at the 7:30 mark. Brand and Kennedy had assists as Miller completed his hat trick while Craig Walters assisted on Johnson’s goal.
Goalie Ben Naugle made 21 saves as the Panthers finished with a 42-24 advantage in shots to improve to 5-1 in the conference and 8-9 overall. Northern Lakes fell to 1-3 in the conference and 5-11 overall.
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Park Rapids 3 2 3…8
Northern Lakes 0 3 0…3
FIRST PERIOD: 1, Park Rapids, DeLaHunt (Brand, Kennedy), 3:44. 2, Park Rapids, Kennedy (Hagen), 6:08. 3, Park Rapids, Miller, 9:20. Penalties: None.
SECOND PERIOD: 1, Northern Lakes, Reed (Olson, Hyytinen), 3:54. 2, Northern Lakes, Hyytinen (Reed, Tangen), 4:20. 4, Park Rapids, Weaver (Johnson), 11:59. 3, Northern Lakes, Olson (Hyytinen, French), 14:28. 5, Park Rapids, Kennedy (Brand, DeLaHunt), 14:45. Penalties: Park Rapids 1, Northern Lakes 1.
THIRD PERIOD: 6, Park Rapids, Miller, 1:32. 7, Park Rapids, Miller (Brand, Kennedy), 5:26. 8, Park Rapids, Johnson (Walters), 7:30. Penalties: Park Rapids 1, Northern Lakes 2.
GOALIE SAVES: Park Rapids (Naugle) 8-9-4-21. Northern Lakes (Stangel) 9-14-11-34.
