The Grand Rapids Thunderhawks used three power play goals and a Travis Underwood hat trick to score a 6-1 home victory over the Bemidji Lumberjacks on Tuesday night. The home team controlled play much of the evening and finished off its fourth straight victory following losses to Hermantown and Duluth East.
Avery Peterson extended his point streak to 10 games when he lit the lamp just before the eight minute mark of the first period to give the Thunderhawks their first lead of the night. The sophomore forward, who added an assist in the game, has scored at least one point in 17 of 19 games this season.
After grabbing 24 points as a freshman, Peterson is tied for the team lead with 29 points this season.
The Grand Rapids power play cashed in for the first time 42 seconds after the Peterson goal when Underwood lit the lamp for the first time in the game. Nate Mondry and Peterson were part of a tick-tack-toe passing play that set Underwood up in the slot with a lot of net to shoot at. The senior captain made no mistake.
The power play came through again late in the first period, and this time it was Mondry that was the beneficiary. Minnesota commit Jake Bischoff and Jordan Stejskal started the play and Mondry finished it. Mondry, a junior, upped his season goal total to 12 after scoring 20 times last season. Nine of his career goals have come with the man advantage.
Grand Rapids continued to pull away in the second period. Power forward Nick Koerbitz continued his recent string of success with a goal that made it 4-0.
The senior forward has 17 points on the season, and with his three point effort against Bemidji, Koerbitz has tallied nine points in his last four games.
The only blemish for Grand Rapids sophomore goaltender Hunter Shepard came in the final minute of the secons period. Easton Halbert sent a laser into the upper corner of the net for the lone Bemidji goal of the game.
Shepard finished with 22 saves in the contest and earned his sixth win of the season.
The third period was all Underwood. He scored once on the power play and once even strength to put the nail in the coffin and give Grand Rapids an impressive 6-1 victory.
Underwood hit the 100 point plateau with his third goal of the game. Fourty-three of those points have come by scoring a goal. He has netted 15 power play goals and seven game-winning goals in his Thunderhawks career.
Three Thunderhawks finished with three points, and another three tacked on two points. In total, eight players earned at least one point in the five-goal victory.
Grand Rapids will look to extend its winning streak to five when they take on International Falls at the IRA Civic Center on Friday night.
THREE STARS
3. Avery Peterson (GR) - 1 goal, 2 assists
2. Nate Mondry (GR) - 1 goal, 2 assists
1. Travis Underwood (GR) - Hat trick
