Tanzer rips through Wisconsin Rapids/Stevens Point Box Score Feb. 11, 2009 The only time Mikayla Hogan touched the ice in Tuesday’s 6-0 win over Point-Rapids was between the first and second period for Senior Night honors, and even that required crutches.
The leading scorer for the Chi-Hi/McDonell girls’ hockey team suffered a lower leg injury in the last 20 seconds of Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Fondy/Waupun and had to miss the last game of the regular season, though no bones were fractured.
Chi-Hi coach Andy Skelton said she would be out for seven to 10 days, but that doesn’t rule her out for the first-round home playoff game on Feb. 19 against Rhinelander.
“For the first-round game, we’re going to have her suit up,” he said. “I’m not sure if she’s playing. It'll depend on how the game goes. If we need her, she’s going to be in there. Otherwise, we'll try to hold her out until the next round if we can.”
It did mean sitting out Tuesday, but Allie Tanzer had no problem filling in.
Just 1:38 into the game, she found net for the first of her three first-period goals.
The second came on an assist from Stacey Brown at the 10-minute mark and the third slipped in with just 9.3 seconds left in the period.
“I talked to the girls about how somebody needs to step up and she did that,” Skelton said. “She’s a captain, she’s a leader, and she stepped up and took the reins from Mikayla.”
Mix in a Kendra Bowe rocket from the blue line that hit net and the Cards (14-5-1) had a 4-0 lead after the first period.
Tanzer wasn’t finished, however. She took an assist from Claudia Peterson in the third and collected her fourth and final goal of the night.
Bowe had the game’s other score when she jumped a pass in the second period and tallied a shorthanded goal.
While Chi-Hi’s offense died down a bit in the last two periods, the Red Panthers’ heated up.
“We kept picking it up as the game went on,” Point-Rapids coach Hayli Hupp said. “We just fought to the end.”
Hupp’s Red Panthers (7-10-0) are the No. 4 seed in the Onalaska bracket.
Despite some close calls, particularly in the third, the Cards did notch their third shutout in the past five games.
Skelton attributed this to his defenders jelling at the right time of the year.
It particularly made him feel at ease going into the playoffs with an injured Hogan.
“I feel pretty confident,” he said. “We’re close to where we need to be. Obviously, we need to get healthy and stay healthy. I think that’s the biggest thing.”
Skelton said he had his eye on this in Tuesday’s game due to a few banged-up Cards, but added that most still saw ice to secure the win and because of Senior Night.
The first-round game is at 7 p.m. on Feb. 19 at the Chippewa Area Ice Arena. If the Cards win, they will either face Eau Claire North or Marshfield as they look to return to state.
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