Grand Rapids Hockey and Hopkins – Rapids Wins 8 to 3-Feb 5th 2016
The Grand Rapids senior class went out with a bang in their final regular season game at the IRA Civic Center. The Thunderhawks played like they were shot out of a cannon in the first period, jumping out to a 4-0 lead on a 25-5 shot advantage. That momentum carried to an 8-3 win over Hopkins.
The scoring started in the oddest of ways in the opening moments of the game. A Hopkins clearing attempts banked off of Rapids senior forward Alex Adams and rattled into the net to make it 1-0 early. That sequence was a sign of things to come in a very one-sided contest.
It was certainly a potential trap game. Hopkins is down this year with just six wins to their credit. They came off an impressive overtime loss at Duluth East last night, which was more proof that they can challenge anyone on a given night. The Thunderhawks could have been caught looking ahead to Saturday morning’s outdoor contest against Holy Family Catholic.
The first goal was good fortune. The second one officially set the tone.
Senior Gunnar Harris made it 2-0 Grand Rapids two-and-a-half minutes after the goal credited to Adams. The shot barrage continued throughout the first period. Blake McLaughlin, a future Golden Gopher, lit the lamp to make it 3-0. Then, Brendan Mark let a bomb go from the point to make it 4-0 Grand Rapids.
The scoresheet may have shown that there was still 34 minutes to be played, but the game was over after the opening 17 minutes.
To the credit of the Hopkins Royals, their kids brought it in the second period. The teams skated to a 1-1 tie in the second period that may have been aided by two five-minute majors against Grand Rapids.
Gavin Hain made it 5-0 early in the second period just a couple of seconds after a power play expired. Mr. Hockey finalist Mitchell Mattson cruised around the net and set a cross-crease pass towards freshman Gavin Hain. All Hain had to do was have his stick on the ice and deflect the puck into a yawning net.
The Royals netted a power play goal to cut the deficit to 5-1.
Grand Rapids has dominated third periods offensively all season, outscoring opponents 39-21 coming into the game. Friday night was no different. Rapids added three more goals and allowed two to skate away with an 8-3 win.
Seniors Mattson and Jonah Bischoff, who came into the game with 128 and 129 career points respectively, scored two minutes apart to turn a 5-1 game into a running time contest at 7-1.
Hungarian foreign exchange student Ricky Farago earned an assist on Bischoff’s goal to pick up his first career point in his first varsity period of action.
Hopkins did expose Grand Rapids’ achilles heel one more time by scoring a power play goal to make it a 7-2 game. The goal was an odd one. It looked like a scrum was still ensuing at the top of the crease when the referee blew the whistle. Two seconds later, the puck bounded into the net and the ref signaled goal. No matter, Rapids still had a commanding 7-2 edge.
Brendan Mark scored his second goal of the night and the team’s second power play goal to make it 8-2. Hopkins scored with 12 seconds left to cap the scoring at 8-3.
Senior Joe Burt made 17 stops to earn his third win of the season.
Mattson led the way with four points to get to 132 in his career. That point total is one better than Patrick Moore. Bischoff’s two points tied him with Moore on the all-time list with 131. Article by Tim How-GRHS Hockey
