Photos by Bob Mainhardt

First conference hockey game of the season had the Hodags facing last year’s state runners-up, Northland Pines Eagles at the historic hockey dome in Eagle River. The Hodags had not defeated the Eagles since the 1991 season.

The game did not begin well for the Hodags, as Pines scored less than a minute into the contest and then tacked on another in the first period to take a 0-2 lead going into the second period. Whatever was said in the locker room between periods worked as the Hodags scored 20 seconds into the second period, cutting the Eagles lead in half on a Joey Belanger goal. Later in the period Leo Losch scored to even the game at 2-2.

The third period was all Hodags as they would tally three more goals and take the first game of the season and break a long losing streak to Pines.

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Freshman Joey Belanger's shot gets between the goalie and the pipe for the first Hodag goal of the season in the second period. The goal was Belanger's first varsity goal.