Zach Martin was busier than usual for two hours Saturday.
The Waupaca Comet goalie faced 53 shots and saved 47 of them during a 6-3 Great Northern Conference hockey loss to Northland Pines in Eagle River.
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Comets.
Waupaca also defeated Antigo 7-3 Thursday, Dec. 8, and picked up a 4-0 GNC win Tuesday, Dec. 6, over Tomahawk.
Northland Pines 6, Waupaca 3
EAGLE RIVER – The Eagles outshot the Comets 17-3 in the first period, but only had a 1-0 lead to show for it.
Northland Pines added two more goals in the second period before Caleb Kiesow put the Comets on the board off of an assist from Cooper Flesch.
The Comets tied the game in the third period on goals from Dante Grorich and Jared Erickson, with Kiesow and Beau Ash assisting on the plays, but the Eagles put the game away with three unanswered goals in a six-minute stretch.
Waupaca finished with 21 shots on goal.
Waupaca 7,
Antigo 3
ANTIGO – The Comets and Red Robins teamed up for 20 penalties.
Hunter Vezina put the Comets on the board early in the first period with a pair of goals, but Antigo’s Blake Kirsch cut the lead in half.
Bjorn Asher scored twice for Waupaca in the second period, while Jordan Erickson added a score to give the Comets a 5-2 lead heading into the third period.
Antigo cut the lead to 5-3 five minutes into the third period, but Asher picked up his third goal for a hat trick and Jared Erickson capped the scoring.
Waupaca outshot the Red Robins 37-28 to improve to 3-0 in GNC play and 5-2 overall.
Waupaca 4, Tomahawk 0
WAUPACA – Asher had another hat trick to lead the Comets over the Hatchets at the Waupaca Expo Center.
Vezina scored in the first period off of assists from Flesch and Kiesow. Asher scored in the second period off of an assist from Jordan Erickson and Ash. His power play goal in the third period off of an assist from Flesch and Jordan Erickson gave Waupaca a 3-0 advantage and Asher wrapped up his night with another goal off of an assist from Ash and Jared Erickson.
“They were never really in the game,” coach Randy Flesch said. “It could’ve been 7-0, 8-0 had we got rolling.”
Hatchet goalie Ole Hanson stopped 42 of the Comets’ 46 shots.
“I wanted to score a few more goals, but their goalie did a great job for them,” Flesch said. “They have a good goalie. Without a good goalie, they’re in trouble.”
Waupaca played GNC-leading Mosinee Tuesday, Dec. 13, and will host Lakeland at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17.