The 2019-20 winter sports season resumes in earnest on Friday, Jan. 3 for the Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines. The Wadena-Deer Creek boys hockey team, girls basketball team, boys basketball team and wrestling team all return to action on Jan. 3.
The boys hockey team returns to home ice with a new two-game winning streak and hopes to stretch that to three when they take on the Park Rapids Area Panthers at 7 p.m. at the Wadena Ice Arena.
The Panthers earned a 2-1 overtime win over the Wolverines in their only meeting on the season. Ben Strandlie finished with 43 saves to earn the victory for the Panthers. The Wolverines enter with a 3-9-1 record and hope to kick start 2020 with a win. The Panthers are 3-7-0 on the season, however are coming off a 2-1 weekend at the North Shore Tournament. Park Rapids Area defeated Moose Lake Area 6-4 and North Shore 3-2, before being blanked by Mora/Milaca 5-0 in the championship game of the tournament.
The Wadena-Deer Creek girls basketball team hopes to return to the win column when they face another stern test in Pelican Rapids on Jan. 3. The two teams tip off at 6 p.m. in Pelican Rapids. The Wolverines enter the contest with a 5-3 mark on the season. Their last time out was a 44-32 defeat to Hawley, however, they won four of their last five games as they picked up wins over Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Verndale, New York Mills and Bertha-Hewitt before the loss to Hawley.
The Vikings enter with a perfect 9-0 record and are coming off a pair of wins at the Pelican Rapids Valhalla Tournament. The Vikings defeated Badger/Greenbush-Middle River 58-42 and Underwood 48-35 to remain perfect on the season.
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The Wadena-DC boys basketball team hopes to bounce back when they take on Pelican Rapids at 7:30 p.m., following the conclusion of the girls basketball game in Pelican Rapids. The Wolverines suffered a 63-48 defeat to Barnesville prior to the break. They sit at 4-3 on the season.
The Vikings enter the game with a 5-3 record after splitting a pair of games at their home tournament. The Vikings defeated Underwood 80-51, but were edged out by West Central Area 56-52. The Vikings have a pair of big wins over Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton and Hawley, but were defeated by Barnesville as well, dropping a 74-57 decision to the Trojans.
The Wadena-Deer Creek wrestling team returns to action with the annual Mahnomen/Waubun duals on Jan. 3 in Manhomen. The Wolverines enters the event with a 1-3 dual meet record and recently competed at the Big Bear Individual Tournament in Cass Lake-Bena before the holiday break. Crookston, Mahnomen/Waubun, Pelican Rapids and Red Lake County Central are the teams scheduled to be at the event, along with the Wolverines. Wrestling action begins at 4 p.m. on Jan. 3.
The Wadena-Deer Creek dance team returns to competition as well. They will be competing at the Alexandria Invitational on Jan. 4. Competition is slated to begin at 9:30 a.m.
