The Raiders Boys Hockey team started the season with a 3-3 tie. In that game, Chisago Lakes scored two goals within a minute of each other in the third to force the tie. In the second game of the young Raider season, Hastings had the 1-0 lead into the third until Jefferson scored two goals in 13 seconds to take the lead. A six goal third period sealed the Raiders first loss of the season 4-3.
Brayden Krauth opened the scoring for Hastings at 5:53 into the first period. Krauth took the pass from the Brodies, Brody Carlson and Brody Geib, scoring from the right of the goalie near the faceoff circle. No penalties were called in the first and Hastings headed to the first intermission up 1-0. The Raiders played a very solid first period controlling the puck just a bit more than the Jaguars did despite the speed of their opponent.
The second period was a bit more exciting than the first, even though there was no scoring and the shots on goal were half of the first period. Jefferson started the period with a penalty at 1:04. A minute later, Hastings was called for too many men on the ice and there was a minute of 4-on-4 hockey which was quite entertaining even with no goals. With just 1:48 remaining in the period, Jefferson took another penalty, and they stacked a second penalty with 54 seconds left, which made for an interesting and entertaining finish to the second period.
The start of the third period was when the chaos started. Hastings was on the 3-on-5 power play for 12 seconds when Jefferson had one player return to the ice. 20 seconds later, The Jaguars tied the game on a short-handed goal and 13 seconds after that, just 45 seconds into the third, Jefferson scored a second short handed goal to go up 2-1.
The Raiders wasted little time tying the game at two. At 2:57, Aden Cavness and Krauth connected with Jackson Dohman for his first varsity goal. Midway through the third period, a Raider penalty gave Jefferson the powerplay opportunity and they scored at 8:39 to go up 3-2. At 9:20, Jack Woodwick and Krauth connected with Luke Wahlstrom to tie things up at three. The Raiders could not stop the Jefferson onslaught and with 4:05 left in the game, the Jaguars scored and took the lead for good.
Overall, each team had eight penalty minutes on four infractions. Jefferson did score on one powerplay while Hastings was blanked. Jefferson also had two shorthanded goals. Hastings outshot the Jaguars 32-30 and Charlie Stoffel earned his second start in goal for the Raiders young season. Stoffel stopped 26 of the 30 shots he faced for a .867 save percentage.
The next chance to catch the Raiders is at Park of Cottage Grove on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 7:00 p.m. Hastings has three straight games on the road with the second game at Simley, 7:00 p.m. on Dec. 7 then at New Prague on Dec. 10 at 7:15 p.m. They return home on Dec. 12 against Two Rivers for a 6:30 puck drop.