Manitowoc United Hockey secured two major milestones Saturday (December 7th) as they beat the Shawano Ice Hawks 5-1.
The win was the first for the new varsity program, and Captain Benson Dickrell netted the first hat trick of the season for the team.
Dickrell sniped the first goal of the night early in the first period as a part of an offensive zone showcase, applying the pressure throughout the frame.
Both teams kept the net clean through the rest of the first period, however, United was back on the attack in the second.
Dickrell was able to sneak a shot in under the glove of Hawks Goalie Kaden Thornborrow to put United up 2-0.
United would enter the final frame with that lead, but the Hawks would catch a break when the puck snuck by a defender, giving Grant Hundt a shorthanded goal.
Their luck didn’t last long as Dickrell netted his third goal a few minutes later, thanks to a beautiful pass off the boards from Ethan Christensen and secured his hat trick.
Dickrell wasn’t done, as he netted his fourth of the night four minutes..
Myles Dekok, who was leading the team in scoring entering the night, was able to beat Thornborrow five hole, and put a cherry on top of the win.
Coach Jeff Gadzinski tells SeehaferNews.com that he is very happy to get the monkey off of his back.
“I knew this group could hang at the varsity level,” he said. “It’s very encouraging for them to get their first win. I think they are going to take that confidence and be able to perform better against these tougher opponents we will be seeing soon.”
The freshman class has been playing a major role on the squad, specifically on the defensive side, and Gadzinski says they are doing a great job.
“I think we still could improve a lot in the defensive zone, and we will work on that,” he admitted, “But the freshmen have been great at catching on to what we are trying to do.”
Logan Bratt also got on the score sheet with an assist on Dickrell’s first goal.
United is back at home next Saturday to take on the De Pere, with the puck drop scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
