Marshall top Rapids

A pair of third period goals, including a shorthanded goal by John McKenna, gave the Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers a big 6-4 win over Grand Rapids in boys high school hockey in Duluth on Thursday night.

  Entering the third period the Thunderhawks and Hilltoppers were locked up in a 4-4 duel, but at 6:27 of the final stanza McKenna was able to break loose in a man short situation and bury the puck behind Grand Rapids netminder Hunter Shepard for the go-ahead goal.  A late goal by Lane Eliason sealed the victory for Marshall which put 27 shots on Shepard.

  Luke Dow gave the Hilltoppers a 1-0 lead in the first period at 4:45 on an assist by Jack Dodd.  Grand Rapids answered with a goal at 7:44 from Alex Adams, but Luke Pavelich gave Marshall a 2-1 lead at 16:20 on the power play with Jordan Fralich and Cam McClure adding assists and it stood that way after the opening period.

  Grand Rapids scored the first two goals of the second period at 9:03 and 12:11 to take a 3-2 lead, but again it was Marshall answering with a Joe Daily Goal from Eliason and Brady Nash at 12:37.  Grand Rapids retook the lead at 4-3 at the 14:31 mark of the second on a power play tally by Avery Peterson, but Eliason responded with the first of his two goals at 15:34 and the score stood 4-4 after two periods.

  Grand Rapids put 30 shots on the Marshall net and Hilltopper goalie Alex Murray finished with 26 saves in notching the win.

  The win pushes the Hilltopper record to 3-2 on the season.  Marshall is ranked #7 in Class A, while the Thunderhawks are ranked #14 in Class AA in Minnesota.