The winning streak continued for the MWHS boys hockey team with victories at  St. Michael/Albertville and Providence Academy the week of Dec. 12.

Thursday, December 15 at STMA, the White Hawks came out of the chute fast with an early power play goal by sophomore Hunter Smith (Bakke) at 1.43 of the 1^st on a high shot from the left circle.  The White Hawks dominated the period with most of the play in the STMA zone with the rink seemingly tilted downhill towards the Knight goal. Smith connected again late in the 1^st on a snap shot from the right circle with MW leading 2-0 at the end of one.

At 6.05 in the 2^nd, Captain Riley Williams opened up a 3 goal lead when Smith gained the STMA zone down the right boards after a pass from J.Brandstetter returning the puck to the junior who found Williams breaking down the slot beating the Knight netminder.  Two mintutes later at 8.08, David Bingham tipped in a Nick Tschida shot from the point after a face off in the offensive zone. The Knights got on the board just 5 seconds later on the ensuing faceoff with a high shot glancing off MW goaltender David Engels glove and in to the net. MW came close to breaking the game wide open with Jack Brandstetter breaking in all alone on the STMA net and David Bingham ringing one off both posts in tight. Late in the middle frame Alex Bakke (Sjoquist) moved the lead to 4 when Sjoquist dug the puck away from the STMA defenseman at the ½ board  and passing the puck to Bakke beating the Knight goalie. At the end of the 2^nd, the White Hawks held a commanding 5-1 lead.

MW’s Smith completed the hat trick just 15 seconds into the 3^rd on a breakaway for his third goal on the evening. The Knights added a second goal at 6.10 on a 2 on 1, but the White Hawks were too much for the home team to handle and they skated away with a 6-2 win.

Saturday, December 17, the Mound boys squared off with a struggling Providence Academy team. The Lions were 1-6 entering the contest.  David Bingham (Blake Brandstetter,Curti) retrieved a rebound of his own tip after a Brandstetter shot from the point at 1.37 for the early White Hawk lead. Charlie Curti added a second MW goal at 5.07 when a shot from the left point ricocheted into the Lion net.  Providence scored on the power play at 7.40 off a screen shot from the slot. The White Hawk penalty kill has not been effective early in the season giving up 9 pp goals to date. At the first intermission, MW held a 2-1 lead.

White Hawk junior Blake Brady (Sjoquist) scored at 6.04 of the 2^nd powering his way around the Lion defense lifting the puck into the net on a backhand past the PA goaltender in tight on the net. At 14.30, with MW shorthanded, Alex Bakke(Bingham) scored to give the White Hawks a three goal lead. 33 seconds later, on the same Lion power play, Ryan Tapani (son of former Twins pitcher Kevin Tapani) brought his team back to within two after a scrum in front of the MW net. The period ended with MW holding a 4-2 edge.

Things got a little tense in the 3^rd with MW’s Curti and Williams in the penalty box for a 2 man Lion advantage for one minute after a hold and interference call at 6.35 and 7.36. At 9.23 with Curti out of the box, Hunter Smith (Bingham) scored the White Hawks second shorty of the game. The Lions Tapani scored his second of the game late at 13.50 on the power play. The White Hawks recorded 35 shots on goal skating away with their fourth victory in a row 5-3. 

After Christmas, the boys travel to Little Falls for a holiday tourney with games against Willmar, Hutchinson, and the host Fliers Dec. 27^th thru the 29^th.