After dropping its first three games of the season, the Baraboo/Portage Thunderbirds discovered a taste for winning, following up its first victory with a 6-2 decision against the Viroqua Blackhawks at Pierce Park Pavilion on Tuesday (Dec. 15).
Thunderbirds shut down the Blackhawks through the final two periods, turning a close 2-2 decision into a lopsided decision with two unanswered goals in each frame. On its way, the Thunderbirds smothered the Hawks, who collected seven shots in the first period to just seven more the rest of the way, while peppering the Viroqua keeper with 31 of its 38 shots in the contest.
Oliver Scanlan opened the scoring for the Thunderbirds in the eighth minute, from Gabe Fitzwilliams and Carson Zick. After the Hawks tied the score, Scanlan notched another, this time a shorthanded effort from Courtney Dunnett.
Viroqua rallied to tie it again late in the period but that was the team’s final goal in this one, Andrew Schaetzl collecting the win in goal.
Fitzwilliams’s fired the game winning marker on a powerplay in the opening minute of the second period with assists for Zick and Luna Larson and that stood up until late in the frame when Peyton Sloan connected with help from Zick and Kyle Poole.
Larson and Campbell Koseor scored the third period goals, Larson on a powerplay and assists for Fitzwilliams, Scanlan and Zick.
The win boosted the T-Birds to 3-2 on the season and set up its first meeting of the season two nights later with the RWD Cheavers at RACA in Reedsburg.
Sauk Hockey 