By Craig Marx, Editor

The Red Robins gave the supporters and fans of “Antigo Hockey Days” something to cheer for this past weekend, defeating Somerset 4-3 and Chippewa Falls 3-0 as the team still lies just on the threshold of the state’s Top 10 rankings.

The Robins beat the Somerset Spartans 4-3 on Friday evening, where after a scoreless first period Antigo took a 4-1 lead into the second intermission. CJ Levis netted a goal less than two minutes into the second period, followed by back-to-back scores from Tyler Husnick. Conceding a Spartan goal to Jake Heyer at the 14:12 mark of the middle frame, Isaac Wickersheim gave Antigo a three-goal lead to round out the second period just 16 second seconds before its closure.

Austin Larson brought Somerset within two goals with a power play score at the 9:04 mark of the third period. At the 16:44 mark of the final period of regulation, Jack Peterson scored a last minute goal for the Spartans, where Antigo was able to hold on for the final seconds to take a one-goal margin win.

Jack Shinners, Andrew Turunen, and Husnick each racked up two points for the Robins as Antigo outshot Somerset 37-27 for the game.

Antigo entered Saturday’s early evening contest facing the Chippewa Falls Cardinals, then the seventh-ranked team in the state according to the Wisconsin Prep Hockey coaches’ poll (of which was not updated for this coming week as of this time of print). With both teams held scoreless in the opening 17 minutes once again, the Robins took advantage of late second period offense to take a 2-0 lead into the third period.

Adam Schmidt scored first for Antigo with a minute and a half remaining in the second period while Jack Shinners took advantage of a Robin 5-on-3 opportunity, scoring with just three seconds left off of help from Schmidt and Levis.

The Robins drastically outshot the Cardinals 33-18 despite multiple chances for Chippewa Falls in the third period, including multiple faceoffs in the Antigo zone as time  drew closer to a Robin victory. Schmidt sealed the game with an empty-netter with four seconds remaining, giving Antigo its third straight win and fourth victory in the last five games.

The Robins travel to Mosinee on Tuesday evening (7 PM from the Mosinee Rec Center) before returning home for four straight games from the Langlade County Multi-Purpose Building, beginning with the infamous Wausau West (ranked No. 1 in the state in last week’s polls).