The team has forfeited its 6-2 win over Medford, which finished last in the conference, for using an ineligible player.
According to Waupaca High School athletic director Carl Eggebrecht, the player was told the day of the Medford game - Tuesday, Feb. 1 - that he would not be eligible to compete in games until the third week of February because of his grades, but the player never told his coaching staff and played in the game.
Coach Randy Flesch learned about the player's ineligibility the following day.
The forfeit means the Comets finished with a 9-4-1 GNC record. Northland Pines ended up winning the conference championship with a 9-3-2 mark.
Although they didn't win the conference championship, the Comets did wrap up the regular season on a positive note with wins over Rhinelander, Tomahawk and Mosinee.
Waupaca 4, Rhinelander 2
RHINELANDER - The Comets struggled for much of the first two periods Saturday, Feb. 12, against the Hodags, but Bjorn Asher came up with a hat trick as Waupaca took control of the game in the final minutes.
Jared Erickson put the Comets on the board with an unassisted goal with 4:38 remaining in the first period. Asher scored 16 seconds into the second period off of an assist from Erickson, but Rhinelander answered four minutes later with Brandyn Dahlquist's goal.
Asher scored his second goal at the midway point of the period off of an assist from Tyler Donaldson, but Rhinelander's Joe Zuiker countered with a short-handed goal less than a minute later to cut Waupaca's lead to 3-2.
Asher scored Waupaca's final goal 6:39 into the third period, with Donaldson getting credit for his second assist.
"You saw who we are at the very end of that game and that's where we should've been this whole hockey game," Flesch said. "We should've controlled the puck more and should've been using our defense more. I like the way we looked the last eight minutes of this game."
The Comets outshot the Hodags 27-14.
Waupaca 4, Tomahawk 3
WAUPACA - Asher found the net twice and added an assist Thursday, Feb. 10, in a win over the Hatchets at the Waupaca Expo Center.
Asher scored 2:38 into the game off of an assist from Jordan Erickson and Beau Ash added a goal four minutes later off of Erickson's assist. Sam Hein added a short-handed goal for Tomahawk later in the period and Matt Gerber tied the game 30 seconds later.
Donaldson scored a power play goal off of an assist from Asher and Ash 4:21 into the second period and Asher gave Waupaca a two-goal cushion four minutes later.
Garrett Daigle scored the game's final goal seven minutes into the third period, but the Hatchets couldn't get any closer.
Tomahawk outshot the Comets 35-22.
Waupaca 4, Mosinee 1
WAUPACA - Goalie Zach Martin stopped 25 of the 26 shots he faced in the Comets' win over the Indians.
Donaldson opened the scoring four minutes into the game on a power play goal off of Asher's assist.
Mosinee's Bryce Hladovcak tied the game 18 seconds into the second period, but that would be his team's only goal.
Asher scored an unassisted goal later in the period. Jared Erickson and Donaldson scored in the third period off of assists from Marcus Johnson, Erickson and Ash.
"We won the physical battles out there," Flesch said. "We have to win those and we need more play like that."
The Comets outshot the Indians 28-26.
"He's focused," Flesch said of Martin. "He had some hard shots and some good saves and he didn't leave many rebounds out in front of him. They were all going to the side of the net."
Waupaca opened state tournament play Tuesday, Feb. 15, at the Expo against Shawano. If the Comets defeat the Hawks, they would play Appleton United for a regional championship at 8 tonight (Thursday, Feb. 17), at the Appleton Family Ice Center.
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