It was a game-long nailbiter at Plymouth Ice Center on Tuesday night, Dec. 16, as the Westonka boys traded goal after goal with Providence Academy.

The White Hawks got on the board first, with senior Liam Grant and sophomore Landon McGovern scoring in the first minutes of play. The Lions answered with two goals of their own, tying the game at 2. Goals by junior Beckett Poikonen and senior Logan Hill, plus one from Providence in between, put the score at 4-3 at the end of the first period. 

In the second, two Providence goals squashed the White Hawks' lead and put the Lions up by one. In the third, an early power-play goal from senior Collin Hagen tied the game at 5, but it didn't take long for Providence to pull ahead yet again. With 5 minutes left in regulation, Poikonen scored his second goal of the night, tying the game at 6-all. Providence reclaimed the lead seconds later. Then, with 1:09 left in the game and fans on the edges of their seats, Hill scored his second goal of the night, tying the game yet again and sending it into overtime.

It took four tense minutes and several close calls for both teams before Hagen sunk the puck into the back of the Lions' net. The final score was 8-7. 

In the end, Hagen had two goals and two assists for the night. Poikonen had two goals and one assist. Hill had two goals. Grant had one goal and three assists. McGovern had one goal. Sophomore Will Pioske and seniors Colton Decker and Theo Karr each had an assist. Sophomore Cameron Kaluzne was in net.

In JV action, the boys played well but fell to the Lions 4-2. Goals from sophomores Quinn Wesley and Aidan Huesmann led to a score of 2-1 heading into the third period. The Lions scored twice to take a 3-2 lead, and then an empty-net goal in the final minutes secured their win. Sophomore Dominic Loycano and junior Jack Gerbig had assists.

The White Hawks boys play again Saturday, Dec. 20, at home vs. Breck. The JV game begins at 1 p.m. and varsity plays at 3 p.m.