Wencl, Achterkirch Lead Owatonna Hockey to Sweep over John Marshall
Tyler Wencl continued the family tradition of scoring crucial goals in big games. The junior scored twice in the Huskies' 3-2 victory over John Marshall Saturday in Rochester.
His brother Trase, a 2016 Owatonna graduate, had a knack for scoring timely goals, many of those in overtime. Tyler's game-winner came with 2:01 remaining in the third period on a breakaway. Mitch Wiese started the play out of the Owatonna zone. Wencl made a move at center ice to get around a defender and went in all alone, putting puck top shelf for the winning margin.
He also opened the scoring at 10:45 of the first when he stole the puck from a Rocket and converted it into a 1-0 lead through one. After a scoreless second period, Wencl made a nifty pass from the left corner to Mitchell Mayer in front of the JM net. Mayer slid it forward to an open Kodey Kiel for a 2-0 OHS lead. John Marshall responded with a pair of mid-period goals to draw even at 2-2. Wencl won the Kottke Jeweler's diamond player of the game honor.
Each team killed off a five-minute penalty that included a 5-on-3 opportunity during the major penalty. Owatonna out shot John Marshall 29-25. The Huskies (5-6, 2-2 Big Nine, 2-0 Section 1AA) hosts Rochester Mayo on Thursday at 7PM.
The Owatonna girls handed John Marshall their first loss of the Big Nine season 4-1 at the Four Seasons Centre. Jenna Bogen scored early in the first on an assist from Margo Achterkirch on the power play, according to the hockey hub website. The Rockets evened it late in the period and neither team scored in the second. Jamie Davison netted the game winner from Grace Wolfe early in the third. Achterkirch scored twice, including an empty net goal, to put the game away. Goalie Laura Ebeling was credited with an assist on the first one.
Owatonna out shot John Marshall 25-14. Based on the points system used in the Big Nine, John Marshall still leads the league with 24 points. Owatonna has 23. The Huskies (9-5-1, 8-0-1) play at Mankato East (8-5-1, 6-3) Tuesday at 5:30PM on KRFO AM 1390.