Hutchinson Rallies in Third to Defeat New Prague 4-3

Hutchinson pulled off a thrilling 4-3 victory over New Prague. Special teams and a strong third-period performance were pivotal in the Tigers’ success, overcoming a valiant effort from the Trojans.

Game Recap

First Period:

Both teams struck early:

2:50: New Prague’s Connor Williams opened the scoring with an even-strength goal, assisted by Keenan Huber.
4:20: Hutchinson equalized on the power play as Nathan Thode found the back of the net with help from Will VanMarel.

Second Period:

Despite opportunities on both ends, neither team could break the tie, keeping it 1-1 heading into the third.

Third Period:

The game turned into a back-and-forth battle:

4:47: Hutchinson grabbed the lead with Hudson Lien’s even-strength goal, assisted by Clayton Witte.
5:58: New Prague’s Walker Andersen responded with a tying goal off assists from Carson Ashley and Joseph Busch.
6:50: Thode struck again for Hutchinson, converting another power play with assists from VanMarel and Matthew May.
12:28: New Prague’s Grayson Witty evened things up once more, assisted by Ashley.
16:18: Hutchinson’s Lien scored the game-winning power-play goal, set up by Emmett Reiter and VanMarel.

Key Performances

Hutchinson:
- Nathan Thode: 2 goals, including a power-play tally.
- Hudson Lien: 2 goals, including the game-winner.
- Will VanMarel: 3 assists, instrumental on special teams.
- Goaltender Lukas Heilman: Stopped 26 of 29 shots, finishing with a .897 save percentage.
New Prague:
- Connor Williams, Walker Andersen, Grayson Witty: Each scored a goal.
- Goaltender Cole Murphy: Made 19 saves on 23 shots.