The way the contest between the Wadena-Deer Creek boys hockey team and Prairie Centre was going on Dec. 11, it was fitting that it ended in a 4-4 tie since neither team was willing to give an inch.
The first period alone featured five goals between the two teams in the give-or-take, see-saw battle at the Wadena Community Center.
Within the game's first five minutes, the Wolverines jumped to a quick 2-0 lead starting with Colter Pettit's power-play goal 2:33 into the stanza. Wyatt Pettit and Zach Lundgren assisted on the goal. Two minutes and 10 seconds later, Wyatt Pettit broke through to score a short-handed goal off a Jimmy Iken feed.
Prairie Centre responded to score the next three goals to take a 3-2 lead into the first intermission. The North Stars' Travis Moller started the scoring spree with a power-play goal. Goals from Dylan Cadwallader and Brandon Schulzenberg enabled Prairie Centre to take the lead.
In the only score of the second period, Wyatt Pettit's second goal of the night tied it up. Iken and Trevor Ness were credited with the assist.
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Midway in the third period, the Wolverines took the lead, albeit briefly when Ness was able to hammer it past the North Star goaltender in the scramble in front of the crease.
Less than two minutes later, Moller once again tied it up.
Both teams battled the remainder of the third period and well into overtime.
Wolverine netminder Allen Uselman (1-2-1) stopped 27 shots in the stalemate.
Last season, Sartell-St. Stephen ended the Wolverines icemen's season in a thrilling 4-3 double-overtime victory in the first round of the Section 4A playoffs.
In the rematch Friday, WDC gained a measure of revenge by slipping past the Sabres 2-1.
Iken's goal allowed the Wolverines to draw first blood at 8:18 of the first period with Wyatt Pettit assisting.
The Sabres knotted the score 1:04 into the second period on Matt Nahan's goal.
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With 5:05 left to play in the third period, sophomore Brandon Wing scored the game-winner to lift the Wolverines past Sartell-St. Stephen 2-1.
Uselman kicked away 41 shots for the Wolverines for his second win of the season.
The Wolverines (3-3-1) host rivals Park Rapids on Tuesday and Detroit Lakes on Friday.
Prairie Centre at WDC on Dec. 11
Wolverines 4, North Stars 4 (OT)
Prairie Centre 3 0 1 0-4
WDC 2 1 1 0-4
First Period
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WDC-Colter Pettit (Wyatt Pettit, Zach Lundgren) PPG 2:33
WDC-Wyatt Pettit (Jimmy Iken) SHG 4:13
PC-Travis Moller (Matt Holt) PPG 6:27
PC-Dylan Cadwallader (Moller, JP Halfen) 8:25
PC-Brandon Schulzetenberg (Austin Plaine) 14:40
Second Period
WDC-Wyatt Pettit (Iken, Trevor Ness) 9:52
Third Period
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WDC-Ness (Matt Stone, Brandon Wing) 8:11
PC-Moller (unassisted) 9:15
Overtime
No Scoring
Shots on Goal: WDC 9-5-7-3 24; PC 10-11-9-1 31
Goalies-Saves: WDC-Allen Uselman 7-11-8-1 27; PC-Marcus Tomsche 7-4-6-3 24
WDC at Sartell-St. Stephen on Dec. 14
Wolverines 2, Sabres 1
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WDC 1 0 1 - 2
Sartell-St. Stephen 0 1 0 - 1
First Period
WDC-Iken (Wyatt Pettit) 8:42
Second Period
SSS-Matt Nahan (Dustyn Rasmussen, Ryan Nahan) 1:04
Third Period
WDC-Wing (Colter Pettit) 5:05
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Shots on Goal: WDC 14-11-8 33, SSS 17-11-14 42
Goalies-Saves: WDC-Uselman 17-10-14 41; SSS-Taylor Nelson 13-11-7 31
