The Breckenridge-Wahpeton Blades secured a 3-1 home win Monday afternoon over the Kittson County Central Bearcats. The Blades scored twice in the final period while Cale Gilbertson stopped 17 of 18 shots on goal in the match to support his offense.
Easton Neppl lit the lamp with 4:17 remaining in the first period, gliding into the center zone and firing a shot over the right shoulder of Andrew Anderson to open the scoring. Anderson remained busy all day, stopping 30 of 33 shots on goal.
The contest remained 1-0 despite what appeared to be a second-period goal by Michael Petersen. The puck cleared Anderson’s blocker and bounced off the inside net and back onto the ice. No goal was awarded and play continued.
The Blades struck quickly in period three, needing just two minutes to score a goal off the stick of Josh Hofman, assisted by Jaxon Breuer.
Guilford Finney made it a 2-1 score when he answered with an even strength goal, but Blades forward Gracin Kaste put the game away when he netted a rebound chance with 1:07 remaining. Kaste’s goal came after his first wrist shot bounced off the blocker and right back to him, setting up a top-shelf rocket.
Kaste also had the play of the game when he sacrificed his body in front of the net in the final seconds of period two, preventing the Bearcats from tying the game.
Breckenridge-Wahpeton improved to 5-8-1 and Kittson Country Central fell to 5-12.
