Varsity Cheavers looking to make a little more history

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The RWD varsity Cheavers took a giant step in what could be a memorable season – at least if history means anything.

The Cheavers collected their fourth Monk’s Cheeseburger Classic at Lake Delton Ice Arena in the 11^th year of the tournament.

Of the three previous titles, two have gone to RWD varsity teams that have gone on to claim a Sectional championship and earn a berth at State quarterfinals.

This season’s team is considered young and that is setting the bar perhaps a little too high, but that box, which is part of the previous two title runs, has now been checked. The first ‘Classic’ was held in the inaugural season of the RWD Co-operative effort between Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Mauston High Schools.

The first event was also the only one to see a team from outside of Wisconsin involved and the most exciting championship game of the tournament so far saw the Cheavers winning in overtime against Prairie Ridge from Illinois. The Cheavers won its first six games at the tournament, capturing the second title as well with a 5-2 win against Kenosha, the same team that handed RWD its first tournament defeat in the opening round a year later.

The other RWD title came in the 2014 version of the tournament and it was the turning point on a season that saw the team start out 5-4 before three wins led to the tournament title, doubling as the first three wins in a 19-game unbeaten string, the final one a 4-0 win against rival Baraboo/Portage in Onalaska for its second Sectional Championship.

Following is a quick look at the first 11 Monk’s Cheeseburger Classic tournaments – how the Cheavers fared and who won the event.

2010 – Cheavers defeat Sauk Prairie 8-2, the qualify for the championship game with a 6-0 win against Steven’s Point Pacelli before capturing a thriller in overtime against Prairie Ridge, the only Illinois-based team to ever participate in the event.

2011 – Once again RWD led off with a win against Sauk Prairie, this time a 4-1 decision before a 9-1 win against Madison Lafollette sent the team to its second straight championship game, won against Kenosha 5-2.

2012 – The string ended in the opening round of this event as Kenosha avenged its championship loss the previous season with a 6-5 overtime win to send RWD to the losers’ side of the bracket for the first time.

The Cheavers rallied with a 3-1 win against Beloit Memorial and a 3-2 win against Beaver Dam to finish fifth overall.

Kenosha Thunder took the Monk’s title home following a 3-2 win against West Salem in the championship game.

2013 – After opening with a 3-0 win against West Berlin, the Cheavers were denied a spot in the championship following a 5-1 loss to Fox Cities Stars who went on to hand West Salem its second straight 3-2 defeat in the championship game.

The Cheavers dropped a 5-4 decision to Viroqua Blackhawks in the third-place game.

2014 – The Cheavers rebounded from its first losing record the previous season with its third title in five seasons, starting out with a 2-0 win against Stoughton and back-to-back 5-2 wins against Menomonie and, in the championship, Beloit Memorial. Those were the first three games of the 19-game unbeaten string that marched RWD all the way to the State Championship tournament.

2015 – After defeating DeForest Norskies in a combination tournament/Conference game, the Cheavers shutout New Berlin to reach the championship game again. For the first and only time, the Cheavers fell in the Championship match 3-1 against the Stoughton Vikings.

2016 – Once again the Cheavers opened with DeForest, but this time it was the Norskies moving on to the winners’ side with a 3-2 win. A 4-0 win against Tomah and another win against Stoughton wrapped up fifth place for the Cheavers.

Wisconsin Rapids claimed the tournament title with a 7-3 win against New Berlin.

2017 – All three games for RWD went to extra time in 2017. After a hard-fought 6-5 win against McFarland in its first game, the Cheavers fell to Wisconsin Rapids in extra time in the middle round, before earning a 5-4 win in overtime against DeForest in the third-place game.

The Championship game also went to overtime as Fox Cities denied Rapids back-to-back burgers with a 3-2 overtime win, becoming the first team, apart from the Cheavers to win a second Monk’s title.

2018 – After a 4-0 win against Stoughton in the opening round, the Cheavers missed on a berth in the championship game, denied by 5-3 loss to McFarland who went on to drop a 3-1 decision to Tomah/Sparta in the championship match.

The Cheavers settled for third place with a 5-2 win against DeForest.

2019 – After opening the tournament with a 6-0 win against the Avalanche ( La Crosse), the Cheavers lost to McFarland for a 6-5 decision to McFarland once again, before dropping a 4-2 decision to DeForest in the third-place match.

The McFarland Spartans moved on to claim the Cheeseburgers with a 7-2 decision against Rapids who reached the title match three times in four seasons but won it only once.

2020 – The field was cut in half for this season and the Cheavers became the first team to not allow a goal in tournament play, following up a 5-0 win in the opener against Tomah/Sparta with its most lopsided win ever against the Red Raiders, 7-0.

Third place went to Tomah/Sparta following a 5-1 win against Viroqua.

Thanks to Gary Wiles and Aaron Kirby (Championship pic) for photos below.

Cheavers roll over Red Raiders for Monk’s title

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The RWD varsity Cheavers tasted the beef for the first time since 2014, wrapping up its fourth Monk’s Cheeseburger Classic Championship in a big way with a 7-0 win against the Wisconsin Rapids Red Raiders at Lake Delton Ice Arena Sunday (December 27).

The team looks better every time it hits the ice and Sunday’s game was a testament to the balanced effort as the same two teams met at Reedsburg Area Community Arena (RACA) on December 3 with a much closer (2-1 RWD win) result.

Head Coach Neil Mattson made it a full team victory, starting senior Brendan Karas in goal, and allowing junior Gary Wiles a chance to share the goose egg in goal. The pair combined to turn aside 20 Red Raiders shots, adding to the previous shutout from junior Cooper Oakes who also collected a shutout in a 5-0 win against the Tomah/Sparta Co-op.

The stingy goaltenders have collected donuts in four of the team’s nine games so far while at the other end of the pond, the team is enjoying a solid offensive season with a pair of lines providing the bulk of the work for a team that has scored five or more in five of its first nine games.

In this one, the varsity Cheavers grabbed the lead with a goal from junior Clayton Pfaff as time ran out in the opening period, then blew the game open with four middle period goals and two more down the stretch.

Assists on Pfaff’s goal went to sophomore Caden Brandt and junior Trevor Slaght.

The second period was a ‘Purple’ Haze as Mattson’s Purple line — Brandt, senior Danny Ely and freshman Brady Baldwin counted all four goals. Brandt fired the first two of a hat-trick, Ely notching the other pair, both with assists for Brandt. Junior Grant Marsich also picked up an assist

Slaght and Brandt fired the third period goals and Pfaff picked up another helper.

The Cheavers outshot their guest 36-20 and boosted its overall record to 7-2 and will carry that mark into 2021.

Both Ely and Brandt have collected 21 points so far this season which as of Monday, has them tied for seventh overall in state.

Brandt’s 15 goals is fifth best and just three off the state-leading pace of Ryan Wegenke from Shawano/Bonduel/Clinton. Ely’s 14 assists is third best. In goal, Cooper Oakes’ 2.00 Goals Against Average ties him for ninth spot and his .927 Save Percentage is fourth best.

The Cheavers will get its longest break of the season now, out of action until Jan. 5 when the Madison Edgewood Crusaders pay a second visit to RACA. The team that knocked the Cheavers out of the WIAA playoffs last season in the Regional Championship game also earned a 3-1 win earlier this season at RACA.

Despite a six-absence from the Championship picture, RWD looked like they had been there and done that after capturing the Monk’s Cheeseburger Classic Sunday night at Lake Delton Ice Arena.

It’s all about the Burgers at the Monk’s Cheeseburger Classic

Uminski nets winner in bantam Cheavers’ comeback win

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

After a tough loss the previous day, the RWD Bantam Cheavers used a third period rally to snatch a 4-3 win away from the Verona Wildcats ‘B’ squad at Reedsburg Arena Community Arena (RACA) on Sunday (December 20).

The Wildcats scored the only goal of the opening period but Tye Barney evened things up early in the second from Kaden Uminski and Tristan Edgerton.

Wildcats went back in front and padded its lead with two goals in the final four minutes to carry a 3-1 cushion into the final frame.

The Cheavers went to work quick though, erasing the deficit with two goals in the first 2:19 of the period. Alec Breunig started the rally converting a pass from Kayla Garbacz and Nolan Pope tied things up just 59 seconds later from Barney.

That set the stage for Uminski’s powerplay goal from the blueline with 7:29 to play, Pope and Carter Renneberg helping.

Alex Griebe denied every Wildcats chance after that, getting the Cheavers to the finish line with a 19-save win in goal.

RWD boosted its record to 14-3 with the win and after a holiday weekend off, the Cheavers will head back into action with three home games this weekend, the most interesting one an 11:45 a.m. meeting with the Monroe bantams – a possible Regional rival at 11:45 a.m. Saturday (January 2, 2021) Monroe handed the Cheavers its most lopsided defeat so far this season at a tournament in Black River Falls Dec. 5.

Before that the bantams will take on Viroqua at 9:15 a.m. in their only previous meeting, the Bantam Cheavers doubled Viroqua 4-2, also at RACA. On Sunday, the Cheavers will play its eighth straight home game, entertaining Stevens Point Area Ice Hawks ‘B’ Bantams in a 10:45 a.m. meeting.

Caden Uminski fired the game winner against the Wildcats

Froese fires two for Flyers in 3-0 over Cheavers

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The RWD bantam Cheavers and Sauk Prairie Flyers ‘A’ bantams gave a preview of a possible Regional meeting next month with their first meeting of the season Dec. 19 at Reedsburg Area Community Arena (RACA).

The Flyers captured a 3-0 shutout win with a goal in each period but the game appeared close enough to see Flyers get the nod as a favorite to get the Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association (WAHA) Region 4 state championship bid, but not with an overwhelming edge.

Of course, Baraboo/Portage T-Birds and Monroe Avalanche bantams will have a say in it as well.

Landon Froese was the key man on the ice in this once scoring the game winner in the first period, adding insurance in the second then setting up Brock Hill for the clinching tally in the final frame.

The Eagles did outshoot the RWD crew 27-9 in the contest though, improving its own record to 7-7 before dropping its next two, at Tomah later the same day and at Monroe the following day.

The Cheavers fell to 13-3 but rubbed away memories of that defeat with a 4-3 win on home ice against Verona ‘B’ Wildcats at RACA the following day.

Both the Flyers and Cheavers have dropped lopsided decisions to Monroe so far this season but it unclear at this time if that is a bantam squad or perhaps a bantam/midget mix.

Below, Landon Froese fires the first and game winning goal against the Cheavers

Uminski’s four-goal game helps Peewee Cheavers to three win weekend

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

Another weekend, another three wins for the RWD Peewee ‘A’ Cheavers with a sweep on home ice Dec. 19-20.

The weekend started out with a 6-2 win against the Sun Prairie ‘B’ Cardinals early Saturday and in a rematch later the same day, the Cheavers racked up a 9-0 shutout win.

On Sunday, the locals grabbed a second shutout, this time a 5-0 decision against the Verona Wildcats. All three games were played at Reedsburg Area Community Arena (RACA).

Cardinals 2, 0 @ Cheavers 6, 9

In the first game against the Cardinals, Ethan Pope started things off, taking a feed from RJ Manley and sinking the lone goal of the first period for the Cheavers.

Tyler Krieski doubled the margin, from Pope near the halfway mark of the middle period and an unassisted goal for Manley just over a minute later had the home side up 3-0.

The Cardinals fired its first a short time later and cut the margin to a single goal early in the third, but the Cheavers responded with three in the final 10 minutes of the game.

Landen Uminski scored the first with Ethan Wilcox counting the other pair and all three were assisted by Manley.

Jordan Kowalski did a great job in goal, turning aside 31 shots to lift his team to the win, despite being outshot.

Kowalski was perfect in the second game, but his team cut the number of shots he faced by a large amount as well.

A four-goal opening period sent the Cheavers on its way and they added another pair in the middle frame before wrapping it up with three down the stretch.

Uminski paced the offensive attack, scoring four goals and adding a couple assists, Krieski adding two goals and a helper. Hailey Dietl helped with a goal and assist, the other goals scored by Elizabeth Haag and Payton Kowalski.

Manley picked up three assists and Wyatt Arnold also chipped in with one.

Wildcats 0 @ Cheavers 5

Kowalski collected his second goose egg on Dec. 20 with an 18-save shutout making Manley’s lone first period goal, from Krieski, stand up as the game winner.

Two more in the second and third padded the lead, the final two rounding out a hat trick for Manley who also collected an assist.

Second period goals came from Dietl, who later added a set up and Wilcox. Krieski, Paige Othmer and Uminski also picked up assists for the Cheavers who entered the Christmas Break with an overall record of 15-6 and ended the longest losing streak of the season at two games.

The Cheavers were scheduled to be back in action Dec. 27 with a pair of games on home ice against the Onalaska/Holmen Tornado.