A four-goal deficit was too much for the Waupaca hockey team to overcome in the final game of the regular season.
The Comets spotted Northland Pines three goals and fell to the Eagles 5-4 Friday, Feb. 10, at the Waupaca Expo Center.
Adam Kresl scored a power play goal for the Eagles 3:20 into the game and teammate Leif Offerdahl made it 2-0 less than two minutes later.
Northland Pines added two more power play goals in the second period from Dylan Weber and Trevor Laszczkowski before Bjorn Asher put the Comets on the board 6:07 into the period off of an assist from Cooper Flesch.
Alex Kornely gave the Eagles a 5-1 lead less than two minutes later, but Jared Erickson scored off of an assist from Asher with 1:49 remaining in the period to cut the deficit to three goals.
Erickson scored twice in the third period, but Waupaca couldn’t get any closer. His shorthanded goal with 9:49 remaining in the game made it 5-3 and he added a power play goal six minutes later, with Asher getting credit for the assist.
The Eagles finished with regular season with a 13-1 mark in the Great Northern Conference, while the Comets finished third, a game behind Mosinee, at 10-4.
Waupaca opened state tournament play Tuesday, Feb. 14, at the Expo. Waupaca received a No. 6 seed in its sectional, while Shawano is 11th. The winner will play third-seeded Green Bay United for a regional championship at 5:30 p.m. today (Thursday, Feb. 16), at the Cornerstone Ice Center in Ashwaubenon.