Keopke’s Hat Trick Leads Hawks To 9-3 Road Win

Dec 18, 2012

Kerry Rodd-NSO

Hermantown has opened the hockey season with five straight wins after ripping Virginia 9-3 on Tuesday night on the road. Travis Koepke scored three goals in helping the Hawks take the victory over the Blue Devils.

Koepke scored the first of his three goals at 3:38 of the first period behind assists by Jake Zeleznikar and Bo Gronseth; however Virginia bounced back with back-to-back goals at 6:25 and 7:59 to take the lead at 2-1. Kori Ochs pulled the Hawks even at 9:26 with assists to Joe Muehlbauer and Scott Wasbotten with a goal.

Grant Sega made it 3-2 for the Hawks at 11:08 of the first period with Zach Kramer assisting and then Koepke added his second goal of the game at 16:17 with assists to Neal Pionk and Bo Gronseth and the Hawks led it 4-2 after the opening period.

Koepke scored the first goal of the second period at 4:32 from Ryan Kero and Zeleznikar to push the lead to 5-2 and claim the hat trick. Pionk scored at 6:26 from Kramer and then Zeleznikar scored at 14:12 from Muehlbauer to make it 7-2 after two periods.

The Hawks added a power play goal at 11:35 of the third period with Koepke and Gronseth assisting to move the lead to 8-2 and then Ochs ended the Hawks scoring at 12:44 from Wasbotten and Pionk. The final goal of the game was scored by Virginia’s Zach Voss on the power play at 15:47, but by then the game was already over in the Hawks favor.

Andy Smith made nine saves for Hermantown in the win, while the Hawks pumped 54 shots on the Virginia net in staking themselves to their undefeated record.

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