By Jim den Hollander
Editor/Publisher
Saukhockey.info
The RWD Peewee ‘B’ Cheavers enjoyed its best weekend of the season so far Dec. 19-20, grabbing wins in two out of three games all played at Reedsburg Area Community Arena and snapping a winless streak dating back to Nov. 29.
After collecting a 4-1 win against the Onalaska/Holmen Tornado Saturday, the Cheavers battled back for a 4-3 win against the Verona Wildcats ‘C’ team early Sunday, then gave the Sauk Prairie Flyers all it could handle and falling just short on another comeback attempt 6-5.
Tornado 1 @ Cheavers 4
In the first game, Dec. 19 against the Onalaska/Holmen Tornado, Noah Mortimer collected a rare natural hat trick scoring all three goals as the Cheavers opened a 3-0 first period cushion, including the first 52 seconds into the contest.
All three were unassisted and Mortimer collected his fourth point with an assist on a goal for Olivia Renneberg halfway through the second period. Aiden Knull also helped on the goal.
Meanwhile, Mason Mattson turned in a great effort in goal, beaten just once on 10 shots when the Tornado struck for its lone goal in the fifth minute of the third period.
Below is the third goal of the period for Noah Mortimer
Wildcats 3 @ Cheavers 4
The Cheavers found themselves looking up at a 2-0 deficit after a period Sunday but rallied back to tie with two unanswered middle period goals. Caydence Putz provided the first goal for the locals, from Andrew Stando and Backeberg just past the five-minute mark of the second.
Andrew Stando took over from there, tying the game with 28 seconds to go in the period with his first of three.
Stando gave the team its first lead with another unassisted tally 61 seconds into the third period but the Wildcats pulled that back less than a minute later.
The game winner came on a feed from brother Matthew, Andrew Stando slamming it home with one second to play.
Below is Stando’s last second goal.
Flyers 6 @ Cheavers 5
Possible Regional opponents squared off in a doozy of a match in the final game of the weekend for the Cheavers, the visiting Flyers holding off a late charge by the Cheavers for the win.
Both teams scored two goals in the opening period, but the visitors carried a 6-3 lead into the third before the Cheavers went to work.
After earlier hat tricks, both Andrew Stando and Mortimer found the mesh for an unassisted first period goal and Mortimer added the lone Cheavers’ goal of the middle period.
Those first period goals came in response to Flyers’ goals for Baryn Macleish and Ryan Jorgenson who set up the first goal. Tyler Jorgenson also picked up an assist.
In the second period, the Cheavers experienced their second natural hat trick of the weekend, this time on the receiving end as Caden Argall struck for three goals in 4:36 to rally back from a 3-2 deficit into a lead the Flyers wouldn’t relinquish.
Kash Caldwell added another for the Flyers a couple minutes later unassisted and the opening goal of the middle period was another goal for Mortimer, unassisted.
The Cheavers went to work trying to chip away in the third period, Backeberg scoring early in the period then adding another, from Mortimer who wrapped up a seven-point weekend with 5:27 to play.
That was also close as the Cheavers would get in this one though.
Ethan Goodman and Jameson Ballweg split the work in goal for the Flyers, Goodman handling six of nine in the first half and Ballweg turning aside three of five in the second half. For the Cheavers, Olivia Renneberg stopped 15 shots.
The successful weekend boosted the Cheavers overall record to 4-8-3. They will look to build on that success right after Christmas as they play host to Sun Prairie C2 twice on Dec. 26 and Sun Prairie C1 the following day. The Cheavers earned a 4-4 tie with Sun Prairie C2 on Dec. 6.
The Flyers were wrapping up a two-win weekend having defeated the Dodgeville Ice Wolves on the road Saturday and the wins boosted their overall mark to 5-7 and they are out of action until Jan. 2.
Sauk Hockey 