Prep Boys Hockey: Litchfield-Dassel-Cokato tops Wadena-Deer Creek in season opener, 9-3

Litchfield, Minn.—Mitchell Swanson notched a hat trick for Wadena-Deer Creek during its season-opening 9-3 loss to Litchfield-Dassel-Cokato on Tuesday.

The Dragons iced five goals during the opening stanza and peppered Wolverine goalie Wesley Janson with 47 shots. Garrett Impola got the Dragons going with his unassisted goal 1:31 into the game and back-to-back goals 17 seconds apart from Max Hyberger and John Raisanen put the Wolverines in a early 3-0 hole.

Hyberger would find the back of the net three times for a hat trick, and tallied a helper to finish with four points. Raisanen led the Dragons with five points on a pair of goals and three assists.

Three of the Dragons’ nine goals came within two minutes at the start of each period.

Jake Krause and Christian Berg iced a pair of helpers for the Wolverines, who fired off 12 shots at Dragon goalie Braeden Wahl in the loss.

Wadena-Deer Creek (0-1) will head up north for their annual trek to play Greenway and Eveleth-Gilbert this weekend.

Wadena-Deer Creek at Litchfield-Dassel-Cokato on November 29
Dragons 9, Wolverines 3
WDC 0 2 1—3
LDC 5 3 1—9
First Period: 1. LDC—Garrett Impola (UA) 1:31; 2. LDC—Max Hyberger (Taylor Gassman, John Raisanen) 10:06; 3. LDC—Raisanen (Jed Nikula) 10:23; 4. LDC—Joe Lundin (Ethan Niemela) 11:14; 5. LDC—Hyberger (Raisenen, Mike Sprieter) 12:19. Second Period: 6. LDC—Kent Ryynanen (Cole O’Brien, Raisanen) PPG 1:52; 7. WDC—Mitchell Swanson (Christian Berg, Jake Krause) 5:33; 8. LDC—Hyberger (Spreiter) 9:04; 9. LDC—Brady Meyer (Spreiter, Hyberger) PPG 12:07; 10. WDC—Swanson (Krause) 12:55. Third Period: 11. LDC—Raisanen (Ryynanen) PPG 1:20; 12. WDC—Swanson (Berg) 3:51.
Goalie-Shots (Saves): WDC—Wesley Janson 12-20-15 47 (38); LDC—Braeden Wahl 5-3-4 12 (9)