NOTE: This story will be updated.
The Superior High School boys hockey team advanced to next week's WIAA State Hockey Tournament with a 6-3 win over the New Richmond Tigers Saturday afternoon at Wessman Arena.
Sophomore Caleb Dushkin led the Spartans with three goals and an assist as the Spartans improve to 16-7-1.
Mitch Kontny, Chris Bishop and Nolan Holcombe also scored for Superior, while goaltender Joel Pettingill finished with 28 saves. Holcombe and Daniel Litchke also dished out three assists apiece and Tyler Plunkett, Kellen McCoshen and Kontny had one helper each.
Max Skatrud, Josh Leavens and Tanner Olek scored for the Tigers, who got 36 saves from Kyle Frey.
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Superior scored the only goal of the first period when Kontny took a behind-the-net pass from Tyler Plunkett and beat Frey from just outside the crease.
Superior's penalty kill helped keep the Tigers off the scoreboard by killing off a 43-second 5-on-3 power play that carried over into the second period.
Seconds after getting back to full strength, the Spartans took a 2-0 lead when Dushkin beat Frey with a wrister from the left circle after taking a pass from Litchke.
It went to 3-0 six minutes later when Bishop ripped a one-timer into the top right corner from the slot after taking a pass from Holcombe. Dushkin also assisted on Bishop's ninth goal of the season.
The Tigers made it a 3-1 game 40 seconds into a Spartan penalty when Skatrud beat Pettingill with a back-hander from the left circle.
Superior got that goal back four minutes later when Dushkin beat Frey with a one-timer from the slot after a pass from Holcombe.
It went to 5-1 just 23 seconds later when Dushkin completed his hat trick with a shot from the right goal line.
After fanning on his initial shot, Dushkin centered the puck to Litchke, but before the puck got there it went into the net off the skate off a New Richmond defenseman.
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The Tiger made things interesting with back-handers from Leavens, shorthanded with 3:28 remaining, and Tanner Olek, with 49.1 seconds left.
Superior sealed the victory when Holcombe tipped a McCoshen shot past Frey on a power play with 24.9 seconds on the clock.
Superior's first game at the WIAA State Tournament will be at 11 a.m. Thursday against the winner of Eau Claire Memorial and Hayward, which played Saturday night in Eau Claire.
New Richmond 0 0 3 -- 3
Superior 1 2 3 -- 6
First period: 1. SHS, Mitch Kontny 14 (Tyler Plunkett 12), 5:38.
Penalties: David Dalbec, SHS (hooking), 14:06. Joel Broberg, SHS (hooking), 15:23.
Second period: 2. SHS, Caleb Dushkin 9 (Daniel Litchke 9), 1:23. 3. SHS, Chris Bishop 9 (Nolan Holcombe 10, Dushkin 9), 7:21.
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Penalties: Austin Zywiec, NR (tripping), 2:39. Max Skatrud, NR (interference), 13:26.
Third period: 4. NR, Max Skatrud (unassisted), 3:41 (pp). 5. SHS, Dushkin 10 (Holcombe 11, Litchke 10), 7:13. 6, SHS, Dushkin 11 (Litchke 11, Holcombe 12), 7:36.
7. NR, Josh Leavens (Riley Martie), 13:32 (sh). 8. NR, Tanner Olek (unassisted), 16:11. 9. SHS, Holcombe 14 (Kellen McCoshen 14, Kontny 17), 16:36.
Penalties: Kellen McCoshen, SHS (tripping), 3:01. Kyle Wilander, SHS (too many men on ice), 11:23. Tanner Olek, NR (slashing), 12:33. Tyler Montgomery, NR (high sticking), 16:25.
Saves: Kyle Frey, NR 11-11-14--36. Joel Pettingill, SHS 14-7-7--28.
