It was another historic night for Willmar WarHawks hockey as the team earned their first-ever regulation victory over the North Iowa Bulls. Dylan Gajewski scored a natural hat trick while Lukas Haugen stopped 30 of 32 shots in the 4-2 win in Mason City.
Gajewski got the team off to a great start scoring just :10 after puck drop. He would add another at 16:38 to give the visitors a 2-0 lead at intermission.
The hat trick goal came at the 6:42 mark of the second before Lewis Rowan made it 4-0 just past the midway mark. Isaiah Thomas assisted on three of the goals. Gavin Uckele, Rowan and Hunter Bjorge each chipped in with a helper.
Head coach Kirk Olimb was excited for his team after the game saying, “Great win! Haugen played really well in net. We got off to the great start we needed by scoring ten seconds in. Gajewski with the hat trick was great to see. Great game for the Gajewski, Rowan, Thomas line.”
The rare Thursday night game was the first of a four-game week for the WarHawks who host New Ulm Steel on Friday then these same Bulls this weekend.
“Solid team defense to not give any up in the third,” added Olimb. “Definitely the start we needed to this stretch of four games in four days. Now we need to focus on New Ulm tomorrow night.”
