SAUK RAPIDS — New London’s own Blake Schultz potted the game-winning goal in Granite City’s shutout win against the Willmar WarHawks in an NA3HL West Division game on Saturday.
The left-handed forward scored shorthanded for his second goal of the season in the middle frame in the Lumberjacks’ 3-0 victory against Willmar.
Granite City is an undefeated 11-0-0-0 in the division and the WarHawks are 4-6-0-0.
Kai Girard had a busy night between the pipes for Willmar. The goaltender from Chaska made 50 saves on 53 shots faced, good for a .943 save percentage.
Granite City got a pair of third-period insurance goals from Seth Terhell and Patty Dunaiski. It marked the fourth tally of the season for Terhell, who is from Cambridge, and the fifth goal for Dunaiski, who is from Cloquet.
The WarHawks host the Minnesota Wilderness for another NA3HL West Division game at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday at Willmar Civic Center Arena.
Granite City 3, Willmar 0
Willmar (4-6-0-0) 0 0 0 — 0
Granite City (11-0-0-0) 0 1 2 — 3
FIRST PERIOD – No scoring. PENALTIES: (1) W: Jett Wheeler (checking from behind-minor), 7:16 … (2) W: Gabriel Adams (hooking-minor), 13:17 … (3) GC: Bryden Prelvitz (elbowing-minor), 16:01.
SECOND PERIOD – (1) GC: Blake Schultz 2 (Connor Miller 4), 11:38 SH. PENALTIES: (4) GC: Seth Terhell (cross checking-minor), 9:43 … (5) W: Adams (cross checking-minor), 14:01 … (6) GC: Prelvitz (too many men-minor), 16:08.
THIRD PERIOD – (2) GC: Terhell 4 (Coltin Wassengeso 3, Reece Gronseth 4), 1:57 … (3) GC: Patty Dunaiski 5 (Emmett Reiter 3), 8:26. PENALTIES: (7) GC: Easton Portner (roughing-minor), 4:02 … (8) W: Wheeler (roughing-minor), 4:02 … (9) GC: Jackson Dhein (holding-minor), 11:32 … (10) W: Jaiken Mackendaz (slashing-minor), 13:47 … (11) W: Toby Holtz (roughing-minor), 15:26 … (12) GC: Wassengeso (slashing-minor), 16:32 … (13) GC: Reece Gronseth (roughing-minor), 17:14 … (14) W: Carson Wendorff (roughing-minor), 17:14.
GOALIE SAVES/SHOTS – Willmar: Kai Girard 50/53 … Granite City: Trent Peterson 23/23
