Eagles still unbeaten in SCC with 8-2 win over Waseca

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM - Prior to the Eagles hockey game with Waseca, New Ulm hockey coach Tom Macho said that he was " a little worried" about the game.

Six first period goals by New Ulm took care of that.

Jamie Hoffmann, Brent Clyne and Scott Stueber each scored two goals as the Eagles remained unbeaten in the South Central Conference with an 8-2 win over the Jays Thursday night in South Central Conference hockey.

Eagle goalie Gary Wurtzberger stopped 22 of 24 Waseca shots in getting the win as New Ulm improved to 5-0 in the conference and 13-2 overall.

"We didn't expect a game like this; we thought that it would be a lot closer," said Macho. "But we came out of the lockerroom and everything clicked right off the bat for us. We got all three lines in the action -we used six defensemen. We just really put it together. We dominated that first period."

The Eagles, who will travel to New Prague next Thursday, put the game out of reach rather fast when Brent Clyne took a pass from Jamie Hoffmann from behind the Waseca net and beat Andy Burnett on the on the stick side for a 1-0 lead at the 1:13 mark.

Scott Stueber recorded the first of his two goals at the 5:55 mark, scorching Burnett with a wrist shot for a 2-0 un assisted goal.

Chris Reinarts' score, coming off of assists from Stueber and Scott Stewart lifted New Ulm to a 3-0 lead with Stueber connecting for his secons tally of the night at the 10:37 mark as Reinarts assisted.

Hoffmann first goal upped the lead to 5-0 when he put a rebound shot by Burnett before Brent Clyne's goal gave New Ulm a safe 6-0 lead.

"We took it to them (in that first period) and that was the end of the game," Macho said. "We got the momentum going right away - they were ready for this game. They have been beaten before by Waseca and they were not going to let that happen."

Both teams scored a goal in a second period that was much more physical, especially from the Bluejays as they tried to slow down the Eagles.

"We could tell that they were going to do that," said Macho. "And we told our guys not to get into that type of game with them - that is not our style. But they did slow us down a bit (with that play."

Waseca's Ryan Hoehn, who was a big concern of Macho's all night, got the Jays on the scoreboard when he beat a Wurtzberger to cut the lead to 6-1 at the 10:01 mark.

"He (Hoehn) was a player that we did not want to get the puck clean," said Macho. "Chris Reinarts and Hoehn are good friends (they played summer hockey together this past year).. We put Corey Schnobrich on (Hoehn) all night. Corey basically stayed in his back pocket all game. And our defensemen were instructed that if you see (Hoehn) him, he better be down."

New Ulm's Hoffmann hit for his second goal of the night with a rocket slap shot that left a vapor trail as it flew by Burnett for a 7-1 lead with only 14 seconds left in the second period.

"That is what makes Jamie a valuable player,"Macho said. "He is as fast as the little guys but he also is strong enough to blister that shot. That is why there are a lot of colleges looking at him."

New Ulm tallied their final goal of the night on a Tyson Anderson rebound goal.

"Gary made some big saves tonight," said Macho."The game could have easily have been 8-5. But he made some big saves ( stoppin Hoehn three times in the final period). He did a good job."

New Ulm also won the JV game 9-0 to improve to 11-2 on the year. Justin Traulich had a hat trick with Landon Rewitzer scoring twice. Andy Budahn,Nate Rodewald, Nate Kloos and Tyler Hirth all had goals.