Waupaca overcame a 2-0 deficit Monday, Jan. 3, and skated to a 3-3 tie with Northland Pines in a Great Northern Conference hockey matchup.
Jay Shifra put the host Eagles on the board with a goal 14:33 into the first period and gave his team a 2-0 lead with 6:08 remaining in the second quarter.
The Comets responded with a pair of goals in less than a minute. Brad Navin put Waupaca on the board with a power play goal off of assists from Marcus Johnson and Beau Ash, while Bjorn Asher scored 58 seconds later off of an assist from Tyler Donaldson to tie the game at 2-2.
Northland Pines regained the lead with Chase Kresl’s goal in the third period, but Navin tied the game with 33 seconds remaining in regulation off of an assist from Donaldson and Asher.
Waupaca outshot the Eagles 41-35 and had a 16-2 shots-on-goal advantage in the second period alone.
The Comets hosted Neenah/Hortonville/Menasha Tuesday, Jan. 4, and will return to conference action against Mosinee at 5 p.m. Friday in the first round of the Sentry Classic at the K.B. Willett Arena in Stevens Point. First place in the GNC will be on the line. Waupaca will head into the game with a 4-0-1 mark in league play, while the Indians are 4-0.
Green Bay United will face Stevens Point in the tournament’s other first-round game at 7:30 p.m. Consolation and championship games are set for Saturday, Jan. 8. Waupaca will then head to Tomahawk Thursday, Jan. 13, for a 7 p.m. conference game with the Hatchets.