Bearcats defeat Bears, lose to Eagles and Broncos

By Editor | January 6, 2025 |

By Coach Josh Rynning
Coming off a tie to the Mayville/Portland Ice Dawgs, the Kittson County Central Bearcat hockey team went to Red Lake Falls to face the Eagles in a tough match on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
After coming out slow and giving up 2 goals in the first period, KCC’s Jaxton Hemmes put 1 in to make it a 2-1 game.
KCC’s Wyatt Samuelson started the second period with a break away, but is stopped by the Eagles’s goaltender Nathan Altepeter. After the odd-man rush, the Bearcats let up and ended up losing 8-1 after the final period.
Stats:
1st Period — Scoring: RLF – Schmitz Goal (short handed) (Seeger) 8:49; RLF – Erickson Goal (even strength) (Lanctot, Knott) 9:42; KCC – Hemmes Goal (even strength) (Samuelson, Muir) 16:56. Penalties: Knott, RLF (Slashing, Minor, 2.0 min) 6:59; Broden, RLF (Charging, Minor, 2.0 min) 12:44. Goalie Changes: None.
2nd Period — Scoring: RLF – Broden Goal (even strength) (Erickson, Lanctot) 5:43; RLF – Tydlacka Goal (even strength) (Konickson, Ste. Marie) 11:44; RLF – Erickson Goal (even strength) (Lanctot) 14:07. Penalties: Johnson, KCC (Hooking, Minor, 2.0 min) 3:35; Harmoning, RLF (Roughing, Minor, 2.0 min) 14:42. Goalie Changes: None.
3rd Period — Scoring: RLF – Girdler Goal (even strength) (Schmitz) 7:17; RLF – Knott Goal (power play) (Nelson, Schmitz) 13:14; RLF – Thronson Goal (even strength) (Mattson, Mattson) 16:36. Penalties: Broden, RLF (Interference, Minor, 2.0 min) 0:36; Muir, KCC (Hooking, Minor, 2.0 min) 11:43. Goalie Changes: Kaul, KCC 0:00.

With a tough loss to Red Lake Falls, the Bearcats had a double header over the weekend. They started Friday, Dec. 13 with a 4-2 win over the Lake of the Woods Bears.
LOW’s Brant Baron scored the team’s first and only goal in the first period.
Coming out hard in the second period, the Bearcats scored twice, Isaac Gustafson and Eli Muir capitalized to make it a 2-1 game. Knowing they couldn’t slow down, the Bearcats kept putting the pressure on the Bears allowing KCC’s Wyatt Samuelson to score back-to-back goals making it a 4-1 game. With Isaac Gustafson going to the penalty box with 3 minutes left in the third period, the Bears scored a power play goal to finish the game with a 4-2 Kittson County Central Win.
Stats:
1st Period — Scoring: LOTW – Baron Goal (even strength) 12:47. Penalties: Baron, LOTW (Tripping, Minor, 2.0 min) 7:58; Gustafson, KCC (Cross-Checking, Minor, 2.0 min) 13:25. Goalie Changes: None.
2nd Period — Scoring: KCC – Gustafson Goal (even strength) (Muir) 1:25; KCC – Muir Goal (short handed) (Hemmes) 13:55. Penalties: Samuelson, KCC (High-Sticking, Minor, 2.0 min) 12:32. Goalie Changes: None.
3rd Period — Scoring: KCC – Samuelson Goal (even strength) (Przekwas) 5:31; KCC – Samuelson Goal (even strength) (Hemmes, Przekwas) 8:59; LOTW – Canfield Goal (power play) (Beckel) 16:04. Penalties: Samuelson, KCC (Hooking, Minor, 2.0 min) 15:20; Gustafson, KCC (Slashing, Minor, 2.0 min) 16:35. Goalie Changes: None.

Coming off the win on Friday, the Bearcats went on to play International Falls on Saturday, Dec. 14. Starting the game off slow from the game the night before, the Bearcats let up 2 goals right off the bat. Down 2-0, Wyatt Samuelson scored to bring it to 2-1 until the Broncos scored for the third time before the end of the first period.
KCC’s Isaac Gustafson scored to start the second period to make it a 3-2 game. Struggling to get it out of KCC’s defensive zone, the Broncos put in 2 more goals. Trying to get some momentum back, Wyatt Samuelson scored his second goal of the night to bring it to a 5-3 game. With 2 more goals from the Broncos and a hat trick for Wyatt Samuelson, the Bearcats battled back and forth trying to come back and take the lead.
The Broncos came out with a 7-5 win over KCC.
Stats:
1st Period — Scoring: IFALLS – Yerxa Goal (even strength) (Thompson) 1:43; IFALLS – Crandall Goal (even strength) (Lehman, Keep) 5:51; KCC – Samuelson Goal (even strength) (Hemmes, Gunnarson) 11:45; IFALLS – Yerxa Goal (power play) (Yerxa, Crandall) 13:29. Penalties: Muir, KCC (Tripping, Minor, 2.0 min) 3:25; Andrade, KCC (Tripping, Minor, 2.0 min) 12:28. Goalie Changes: None.
2nd Period — Scoring: KCC – Gustafson Goal (even strength) (Muir) 2:49; IFALLS – Sivonen Goal (even strength) 6:01; IFALLS – Crandall Goal (even strength) (Lindvall) 7:58; KCC – Samuelson Goal (even strength) (Przekwas, Hemmes) 12:22; IFALLS – Yerxa Goal (even strength) (Yerxa, Thompson) 13:44; KCC – Gustafson Goal (even strength) (Hemmes, Samuelson) 16:47. Penalties: Johnson, KCC (Holding, Minor, 2.0 min) 1:00; Youso, IFALLS (Goaltender Interference, Minor, 2.0 min) 1:28. Goalie Changes: None.
3rd Period — Scoring: IFALLS – Yerxa Goal (even strength) 10:59; KCC – Samuelson Goal (short handed) 16:58. Penalties: Muir, KCC (Cross-Checking, Minor, 2.0 min) 12:25; Muir, KCC (Cross-Checking, Minor, 2.0 min) 15:38. Goalie Changes: None.

BEARCAT CLARENCE PRZEKWAS moves the puck during the Bearcats’ 1-8 loss to the Red Lake Falls Eagles on Tuesday, Dec. 10. (Photo by Lindsey Gullickson)

Gus Gunnarson (left) and Jaxton Hemmes (right) work the puck around some Red Lake Falls Eagles players during the Bearcats’ 1-8 loss to the Eagles. Hemmes scored the lone goal for the Bearcats. (Photo by Lindsey Gullickson)