By Jim den Hollander
Publisher/Editor
Saukhockey.info

The Sauk Prairie Eagles and RWD Cheavers both dominated their respective pools, heading for a collision in the championship game at the Middleton Red Line Summer Shootout at Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton.

Both opened the event with a win on Friday (June 18) night then returned Saturday for two more wins and a great bonding experience in a tournament designed to allow for a incoming frehsmen players to get their first taste of varsity hockey.
On Sunday, the rivals met in the championship game won handily by the Eagles (9-1) against an RWD team light on seniors.

Eagles 6 Purple Knights 1

For the second day, the Purple Knights saw a close contest get away from them in the final period.

The Eagles fired the first two goals, but the Knights were within one with 2-1 score after both the first and second periods.
Four more unanswered goals in the final 15-minute segment put the game away for the Eagles.
Senior Erik Peterson fired two goals for the winners, senior Nick Mast in on all but one with a goal and four assists.Junior Landon Clary, senior Brandon Mittelstaedt and sophomore Samson Begalske fired the other Sauk Prairie goals and junior Luke Mast chipped in an assist.
The Eagles improved to 2-0 with the win while the Knights fell to 0-2. The Eagles held a 37-14 edge in shots.

Cheavers 8 Cardinals ‘White’ 6

That comfortable margin was almost wiped out by the Cards who exploded for four goals in 5:50 to suddenly trim the cushion to a single goal just 6:01 to play.
A great feed from junior Yevgeny Dedun, finished with a tip from sophomore Trey Lariden restored some breathing room with 86 seconds to play and that was as close as the home side got in this one despite getting an extra attacker on for the final minute.
Along with Lariden’s goal, the Cheavers got three from junior Caden Brandt and two each from junior John Scott and sophomore Brady Baldwin. Sophomore Izak Elder, junior Logan Demars, junior Nate Stando, junior Carsen Brandt and Dedun had assists in the contest.
RWD held a 27-26 edge in shots in this one.

Cheavers 4 Cardinals ‘Red’ 0

Griebe collected a 33-save shutout in this one clinching a spot in the tournament championship game and he was counted on as a first period goal by Logan Demars stood up as the only goal of the contest until the final period.
Demars added another in that period as Carsen Brandt, John Scott and he combined to notch three goals in 3:25 the salt this win away. The result was the closest of round robin contests for the locals who outshot the Middleton High School ‘Cardinal’ club 40-33.

Eagles 8 Stars ‘Blue’ 0

The Eagles also racked up a shutout thanks to a 17-save goose egg effort for William Anderson.
The Eagles built a 4-0 first period lead and added three more in the middle segment.
Nick Mast fired three goals, Hakon Peterson adding two goals and an assist with Luke Mast scoring once and setting up four others. Erik Peterson and Thor Peterson sank the other goals, Erik adding an assist and Samson Begalske also contributed a helper.

Eagles 9 Cheavers 1

It might have been mid-June, but the pace for most of this contest looking like a mid-February contest. The Eagles, opened a 2-0.
Both teams showed off some speed and physical play, typical of a rivalry contest, but in the middle period, the Eagles took over, turning a 2-0 lead into a 6-0 cushion before the second period break.
The Cheavers showed flashes but the toughest part for the RWD squad was Sauk scored a couple of its goals on counterstrikes right after some of the Cheavers’ best chances.

Luke Mast led the Eagles with two goals and four assists, Micah Hanson and Hakon Peterson both added two goals while Nick Mast fired one goal and set up two others. Brody Wolfe and Gunnar Nachreiner collected the other Eagles’ goals, Erik Peterson, Steven Romaker and goaltender Brooks McInerney, who split the work in goal with Kaden Stracke, had single assists.
Caden Brandt fired the lone Cheavers’ goal unassisted, Alex Griebe and Cooper Oakes kept busy between the pipes.

Red Line Club Tradition

While Middleton High School Cardinals hosted the event and put three teams into the eight-team competition, thanks goes out to the organization’s ‘Red Line Club’ which has run the event for more than 15 summers.
The primary purpose of the tournament is to give freshmen an early shot at creating some chemistry with their new teammates.
The the RWD squad, that bonding included both players and parents with a Tailgate event in the parking lot helped kill the time between games on Saturday.