BY TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
East Merrill Newman United (EMU) Bluejacks Varsity Hockey Team kicked off their 2023-24 season on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, at the Marathon Park Ice Arena in Wausau with a match-up against Waupaca.
Waupaca was first to score, less than two minutes into the first period, and then the two teams battled it out until the Bluejacks got one on the board just over 12 minutes in. #17 Zach Pagel scored with an assist from #27 Nick Bodner and #2 Brody Benedict to end the first period with a 1-1 tie.
It didn’t stay tied for long, though. Waupaca turned up the heat and cranked it up hard, scoring their second goal less than a minute into the second period and putting up a total of six points in the second period with the Bluejacks landing their second goal just over 30 seconds prior to the end of that period. #26 Brody Klebenow scored that goal with an assist from #2 Brody Benedict. The score at the end of the second period: Bluejacks 2-Waupaca 7.
In the third period, EMU couldn’t get one in the net while Waupaca piled it on, racking up another five goals.
It was a tough start for their first game, but the highlight of the game for the Bluejacks was “Brody Klebenow scoring his first Varsity goal,” Assistant Coach Greg Glovinski said.
Box Score
Waupaca 12 @ East Merrill Newman United 2
The Bluejacks hit the ice on Friday, Nov. 24, for a non-conference game against the Homestead Team and this one was a little less eventful, with just a single goal scored in each of the three periods, the first two by Homestead just under 13 minutes into the first period and then again just over 4 minutes into the second. The Bluejacks made the third and final goal of the game, and the lone goal for their team, with #17 Zach Pagel landing that goal unassisted 51 seconds into the third period.
EMU goalie Connor Burton racked up 40 saves in the game.
Each team totaled three penalties in the game, respectively.
Box Score
East Merrill Newman United 1 @ Homestead 2