Comets return to winning ways

Hockey team gets overtime win

By Greg Seubert

The Waupaca boys’ hockey team snapped a three-game losing streak with recent wins over Fox Cities and Antigo.

The Comets outshot Fox Cities 37-20 Dec. 14 in a 6-2 win at the Waupaca Ice & Expo Center and picked up a 3-2 Great Northern Conference overtime win Dec. 10 in Antigo.

Waupaca 6, Fox Cities 2

The Stars took a 1-0 lead into the second period on Zane Van Zeeland’s goal.

Jed Vanden Bush tied the game with an unassisted goal in the second period and Eli Bartel gave the Comets the lead for good with a power-play goal off of an assist from Davis Levine and Jack Erspamer.

Levine’s goal off of Eli Bartel’s assist gave Waupaca a 3-1 advantage later in the period, but Connor Janssen’s goal for the Stars cut the deficit to 3-2 heading into the final period.

Waupaca closed out the game with three unanswered goals in the final period. Bartel scored off of an assist from Erspamer and Levine and Erspamer added a pair of late empty-net goals.

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Eli Bartel scored two goals and had an assist in Waupaca's 6-2 win over the Fox Cities Stars Dec. 14. He also scored the game-winning goal in overtime of the Comets' 3-2 win over Antigo Dec. 10. Greg Seubert Photo

Waupaca 3, Antigo 2 (OT)

Bartel came up with the game-winning goal with 49 seconds remaining in overtime. Erspamer and Levine assisted on the play.

Reese Myre gave the Red Robins the lead in the second period, but the Comets answered with goals from Vanden Bush and Bartel. Erspamer picked up an assist on each goal.

Isaac Wickersheim tied the game in the third period and neither team found the net again until Bartel’s overtime goal.

Antigo outshot the Comets 37-22 and Waupaca goalie Hagen Rasmussen made 35 saves.

The Comets will return to Great Northern play Friday, Dec. 20, as Waupaca hosts Rhinelander at 7 p.m.