4 hours Ago By Joe Brown
WILLMAR — After the Willmar WarHawks closed the gap late in the first period, the Granite City Lumberjacks’ offense took over. Granite City scored five unanswered goals in the second and third periods en route to a 7-1 NA3HL junior hockey victory on Wednesday at the Willmar Civic Center Arena. The loss ended the WarHawks’ three-game win streak.
They are fourth in the West Division with a 9-9-0-0 record. The Lumberjacks out-shot the WarHawks 56-18, including a 38-12 advantage in the second and third periods. TJ Lepisto and Ty Smith both scored two goals for Granite City.
Lepisto is a forward from Menomonie Falls, Wisconsin. Smith is a forward from Victoria. The Lumberjacks also got goals from Caleb Alderson, Blake Lokken and Thomas Gerum.
Granite City excelled on the power-play, going 3-for-5 with the man advantage. Down 2-0 in the first period, Willmar’s lone goal came from Jett Wheeler at the 17-minute, 16-second mark. Wheeler is a forward from Sauk Rapids.
Zane Irion, a forward from Rio Rancho, New Mexico, had an assist on the play. The Granite City win avenges a loss to Willmar in the two team’s previous matchup. The WarHawks beat the Lumberjacks 3-1 on Nov.
15. Willmar faces the Minnesota Wilderness at 6:05 p.m.
Saturday at the Eveleth Hippodrome. Granite City 7, Willmar 1.
