The RWD Squirt ‘B’ Cheavers are still searching for its first ‘W’ of the season, but they are gaining a ton of experience.
The team experienced its busiest week of the season so far, suiting up five times, including four at the Lake Delton Ice Arena’s latest ‘Dells Cup’ series tournament. While the competition proved tough in those contests, the Cheavers got away from that intensity for a home game at Reedsburg Area Community Arena, battling to its second tie of the season with a 3-3 stalemate against the Dodgeville Ice Wolves.
Here is a look at the team’s busy weekend.
Friday, December 11
RWD Cheavers 1 Waunakee C2 Yellow Wildcats 3
The Wildcats scored a pair in the first frame and carried a 3-0 cushion into the third but the Cheavers gained some satisfaction, shattering their opponents’ shutout bid when Caleb Backeberg buried one from Kapri Rabine 8:40 from the final horn.
Saturday December 12
RWD Cheavers 3 Dodgeville IceDogs 3
SHAW Red 11 RWD Cheavers 0
On Saturday, the Cheavers took on the Ice Dogs in Reedsburg and the visitors grabbed a 1-0 first period lead and doubled its margin near the halfway mark of the second.
Jamison Haag responded with an unassisted goal 22 seconds later to trim the lead to one and Kaelyn Tyler set up Rabine for the tying goal less than two minutes later. Teams were still even at 2-2 heading to the third.
Garrett Mancuso fired his second of the contest for the Ice Dogs with 8:16 to go but Tyler collected her second assist of the game just over two minutes later, this time Cole Renneberg pulling the trigger.
Aria Gada kicked out 11 shots in goal for the Cheavers.
Back at the tournament, the locals ran into a tough Southeastern Hockey Association of Wisconsin (SHAW) team and dropped a lopsided decision.
After scoring four in the opening period, SHAW racked up another five in the middle session with a running clock helping as much as possible.
Shots were not kept for this contest, but there is little doubt Gada was the busiest player in this contest.
Sunday December 13
RWD Cheavers 2 Waukesha Warhawks 6
RWD Cheavers 2 Black River Falls Tigers 3
The Cheavers finished play at the tournament against another tough team out of Waukesha before wrapping it all up back at RACA against Black River Falls.
After scoring the only goal of the first period, the Warhawks tripled its margin in the second before a pair of carbon copy goals – both scored by Renneberg after set ups from Briar Messer – pulled the Squirt Cheavers to within a goal late in the second period.
The Warhawks responded with its fourth goal just 11 seconds after Renneberg’s second tally, then added a couple more in the third to complete the win.
Back in Reedsburg, the visiting Tigers fired all three of its goals in the first period, an unassisted goal for Messer getting the Cheavers on the board as well.
An unassisted marker from Jase Uminski with 2:49 to play in the contest opened the door for another tie, but the Cheavers couldn’t net the equalizer. Gada once again kicked out a dozen shots from the blue paint for the home side.
Squirt Cheavers sit at 0-9-2 and have another shot at getting the elusive win before Christmas when they host the Sun Prairie C1 Cardinals at RACA Saturday at 3:15 p.m. and the West Madison Polar Caps at RACA Sunday at 8 a.m.
Sauk Hockey 