Mast and 16U TW split four at USHL Showcase

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

After a solid 2-0 start, the Team Wisconsin 16U team stumbled a bit through its final two games in the Pittsburgh area this past weekend (Jan. 24-26) wrapping up a 2-2 weekend.

The team played in three different arenas as part of the United States Hockey League’s season opening Showcase tournament. An event that attracted junior, college and professional scouts to the City of Bridges.

Playing on Team Wisconsin for a third season is Luke Mast, an incoming junior on the Sauk Prairie Eagles varsity hockey team beginning in November.

TW opened with a 9-1 whipping of Gilmour Academy, from Ohio on Saturday (September 25, 2021) and returned Sunday morning for a 2-1 edge against the Rhode Island Saints in overtime.

Later Sunday, Team Wisconsin played the same Florida Alliance squad it opened season play with back in August. Florida collected a 7-5 win in the opener but teams played a different style of match this time around, Florida ultimately taking the win by a 2-1 margin.

On Monday, TW lined up against the South Kent Selects, wrapping up the weekend with another tough one-goal loss, this time by a 3-2 margin.

Team Wisconsin 9 Gilmour Academy 1

Team Wisconsin grabbed control of this one with four unanswered first period goals and added another four before Gilmour Academy finally hit the board with the only shot of 16to beat Devin Schutt (Sophomore – Arrowhead Warhawks) in goal for TW.

Kyle Rohrer (Sophomore – Oregon Panthers) enjoyed a huge game for Team Wisconsin with three goals and two assists and Talan Blanck (St. Mary’s Springs Ledgers) picked up three assists. Other TW goals came from: Carsen Gause (Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln Red Raiders); Reece Cordray (Verona Wildcats); Carson Strapon (Sophomore – Hudson Raiders); Adam Timm (Sophomore – Rice Lake Warriors); Brody Dietz (Hudson Raiders) and Brenden Gruber (Sophomore – Notre Dame Academy Tritons).

Team Wisconsin 2 Rhode Island Saints 1

A first period goal had the Saints in control until Jack McGregor (Freshman – University School of Milwaukee) evened it with 3:32 to play in the contest.

That set the stage for Timm and the overtime game winner scored at 4:53.

Hayden Rising (Sophomore – St. Mary’s Springs Ledgers) kicked out 19 of 20 shots to collect the win in goal for TW.

Florida Alliance 2 Team Wisconsin 1

After combining on a dozen goals a month prior, defense was clearly the dominant player in this contest. Mast opened the scoring for Team Wisconsin in the game’s fourth minute but teams were even after a period, Florida grabbing its first and only lead 7:30 into the final period.

South Kent Selects 3 Team Wisconsin 2

Team Wisconsin battled back twice from a one-goal deficit, but the third time was the charm for the Selects.

Down 1-0 after a period, Brady Engelkes (Middleton Cardinals) evened it 7:39 into the second period. South Kent moved in front again just over two minutes later and this time it was Strapon pulling the trigger on the equalizer with 4:01 to go in the period.

The tie was once again short-lived as the Selects moved in front to stay 48 seconds after Strapon’s goal.

Peterson and TW run into some tough competition

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

Team Wisconsin 18U hockey team was the host team but sure didn’t have much of a home ice advantage this past weekend.

The team faced a couple of tough opponents in Upper Midwest High School Elite League play, battling the first place MAP South Hockey team to a 6-6 draw in its first game at Chippewa Falls Ice Arena on Friday night, but falling to the same opponent 4-1 on Saturday morning.

Next up was the Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep team who were simply too tough, handing TW a 4-1 loss Saturday and returning for a 4-2 decision on Sunday.

MAP South 6 Team Wisconsin 6

In the first game, Team Wisconsin appeared on its way to a big win, but three goals in the game’s final five minutes lifted the visiting MAP South team into a draw.

Team Wisconsin scored the game’s first three goals and never trailed in the contest.

Leading the offense was Aidan Lenz with two goals and Jon Wiebusch who set up three. Both will be seniors with the Edgewood Crusaders this fall.

Other TW goals came from Kade Smigaj (Junior – Stevens Point Panthers); Hunter Bill (Junior – Notre Dame Academy Tritons; Isaac Rentmeester (Senior – Notre Dame Academy Tritons) and Peyton Platter (Senior – Eau Claire Memorial Old Abes). Erik Peterson, a senior with the Sauk Prairie Eagles picked up an assist on the game’s third goal.

MAP South 4 Team Wisconsin 1

In the first game, Team Wisconsin appeared on its way to a big win, but three goals in the game’s final five minutes lifted the visiting MAP South team into a draw.

After leading most of the way in the first game, TW found itself down early in the rematch and never caught up. MAP carried a 3-0 lead out of the opening period and after a scoreless middle frame, both teams fired one in the third.

Josh Austin (Senior – St. Mary’s Springs Ledgers) scored the lone Team Wisconsin goal.

Shattuck St. Mary’s 5 Team Wisconsin 2

Team Wisconsin opened and closed the scoring in the opening period, but thanks to a pair of responses in between by the visitors, this game was tied at 2-2 heading to the second.

The game winner came near the halfway mark of the second and two more in the third clinched the win for Shattuck.

Wiebusch and Cody Menzel (Senior — Edgewood Crusaders) had the Team Wisconsin goals in this game.

Shattuck St. Mary’s 4 Team Wisconsin 2

The following day teams returned to a game that saw two goals in each period. Unfortunately, the first two and a 4-0 lead belonged to Shattuck with TW striking back for a pair in the third.

Smigaj and Platter fired the Team Wisconsin goals.

The rough weekend leaves Team Wisconsin with a 2-5-3 record in league play and a 6-6-3 record overall. As a result, the team has fallen to seventh place overall in the 10-team league.

Action resumes in New Hope, MN for TW this weekend beginning Saturday with the team’s first meeting against North Dakota (1-2-1), followed by another chance against MAP South (6-1-2) and then on Sunday, the first meeting with fourth place Sanford Power (5-3-2)

Player of the week honors for Ducks’ Cartland

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The Dells Ducks wrapped up the midpoint of its first ~~off-week~~off week of the young season and got some good news along the way.

Jacob Cartland scored four goals in two games this past weekend and was named as the USPHL Premier Midwest-West Division Forward of the Week.

Jacob Cartland has made a great debut as a rookie with the Ducks this season. The Rookie forward has five goals and seven points in four games and was named as the USPHL Premier Midwest-West Forward of the Week — Photo Courtesy Gary Wiles.

One of the top scoring forwards in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) as a forward with Kettle Moraine/Mukwonago/Oconomowoc, Cartland has made a seamless transition to the junior game.

Playing mostly on a line with fellow rookie Caden Glamkowski, the pair have played a part on almost all 12-goals scored by the Ducks so far this season, they combined to total 16 points on the season so far.

Players have been either working towards the season or competing for the past six-weeks and will be rewarded with their first break this weekend, giving many of the Midwest players a chance to dash home to see their family, pets and taste some home cooking.

Hopefully, they get the most out of this weekend as they will return to play every weekend following until Thanksgiving – a total of 20 games, beginning with four more on home ice, then continuing with trips to the Twin Cities, Owatonna, MNMN, and Merrimack College near the border of Massachusetts and Maine.

In his meeting with the media today, Head Coach Shaun Falzone said the players have earned the break with the pace they have been on so far – two practices a day for the past several weeks and a busy weekend both on and off the ice.

The team will wrap up Friday, then return Monday to begin specific preparations for the Minnesota Moose, a perennial contender for the top spot in the division and one of the two division reps at Nationals this past season.

First break in busy schedule for Dells Ducks

By Jim den Hollander

Saukhockey.info

Editor/Publisher

With four games behind them (1-3-0), the Dells Ducks head into its first off weekend of the regular season.

Dells Ducks

While the team will continue twice-a-day practices at the Lake Delton Ice Arena, the carrot of Friday/Saturday games on the horizon will be removed for this week, but Assistant Coach Mario Lachica the team is working hard with ‘flow drills’ run at game tempo to improve on timing and communication.

This past weekend was a busy one for the Ducks who not only wrapped up a stretch of eight games in two weeks but also adhered to a busy off ice schedule that included heading to Bobber’s Island Grill Thursday to check out former Dells Ducks forward Colin Cross, now a Nashville-based country-western artist in town on a short Midwest tour, promoting and selling tickets for a local outlet mall that had an open house type event Saturday and finally, attending the final day of a big championship points weekend at Dells Raceway Park on Sunday.

Colin Cross in the middle of back row, took a minute away from his four-hour show at Bobber’s last Thursday (September 23) to stand with his new Dells Ducks brothers. In front are Cross’ bandmates Tim Angsten (left) and Mac Watts on the right.

Monday seemed like a break despite a pair of practices.

South-Central WEHL squad collects Wheels of Fire title

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

With a week off in the middle of its short season schedule, the 14U South Central Wisconsin Elite Hockey League (WEHL) squad took several team members to the Chicago area for a weekend tournament.

Clearly the class of the field, the South-Central squad which uses the Lake Delton Ice Arena as a home-base, didn’t just pick up four wins, but surrendered just a single goal on the weekend at the Wheels of Fire Tournament

Starting out against THEM Girls. South-Central collected a 6-0 win with Tomah’s Shelby King (Blue Devils AAA) leading the way with a four-goal game, Anna Phillips of Black River Falls and Julia Purinton from McFarland (Madison Mavericks) notching the other goals.

Against the Metro Jets from the Detroit area, South-Central rolled to a 10-0 goose egg with Phillips and King notching two more apiece and others for Waunakee’s Olivia Dull; Leah Grudzinski from Verona (Madison Mavericks); Maizy Fonseca of Warren (Monroe Youth Hockey Avalanche); Abby Hollfelder of Sun Prairie (Madison Mavericks); Carolina Cutrano from Waunakee (Madision Mavericks) and Payton O’Neill from Black River Falls (WI TNT/Blue Devils) and Reedsburg’s Paige Othmer (Badger Lightning/RWD/Blue Devils) collected an assist on the game winner.

RWD/Badger Lightning defender hustles back to her own end to gather a puck against the WEHL SouthEast team at the Wheels of Fire Tournament in Darien, IL. While helping defensively on a weekend that saw just one goal against in four contests, Othmer also contributed an assist for South-Central.

Against a familiar opponent, the WEHL SouthEast team (for the fifth time in two weeks), the South Central squad kept rolling with a 4-1 win. This time Brynn Brinkmeister is from Sun Prairie (Madison Mavericks/Wisconsin Jr. Stars) paced the attack with two goals and othes came from Phillips and Grudzinski.

The weekend finished where it started as South Central lined up Sunday against THEM Girls once again, getting a tougher challenge but still blanking the oppostion 3-0.

Othmer drew a penalty and it was on that powerplay the South-Central squad notched the game winner, Grudzinski pulling the trigger for her second of the weekend.

Insurance came late as Phillips stayed hot, scoring the clincher wrapping up a weekend that saw her score in every game, notching the easiest one of the stretch into an empty THEM Girls cage. Another empty netter from King put an exclamation point on it.

While the goals piled up for the South-Central squad, goaltending has been unreal this season so far as the goaltending trio of Lily Rosenthal from Sun Prairie (Madison Mavericks/Jr. Wisconsin Stars); Tomah’s Alexa Moore (TNT Hockey/Blue Devils) and Diana Hanson from Holmen (Coulee Region Stars/Jr. Chill/River Valley Fuse) have kept a clean crease five times in 10 games.

The 14U South-Central squad will be back in Lake Delton on Wednesday to prepare for a return to WEHL play this weekend as they travel to Cornerstone in Green Bay Sunday for a pair of games against North-Central/NorthEast at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The South Central team is 2-2-2 in WEHL league play and 6-2-2 overall heading into this weekend, but they have not played this team yet.

The WEHL South-Central squad took a minute after four games in Darien, IL to show off their medals and championship pennant won at the Wheels of Fire 14U Hockey Tournament this past weekend. The team will head into its second and final month of the WEHL season in Green Bay Sunday.

Ducks fall short, but show heart in loss to Cougars

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The Dells Ducks showed its resiliency once again Saturday (September 25), bouncing back from a two-goal deficit or a third time on the weekend, but ultimately fell short in its USPHL Premier rematch with the Chicago Cougars 4-2.

Down 1-0 after a period and 2-0 early in the middle frame, a pair of goals by Jacob Cartland (‘02/East Troy, WI), his third and fourth of the weekend evened the score.

The Cougars though struck back with a late second period goal then added a clincher 6:18 from the final buzzer.

Dells Ducks

The loss leaves the Ducks at 1-3 on the season, but if you’re looking for some positives, here’s a list:

The goal is to improve on last season’s 3-38-2 regular season showing that included a 23-game season opening losing streak. Friday’s win came months earlier that last season’s first victotry.
The rate of improvement so far is nothing short of shocking. The team is already eons removed from the squad that got an early preview in Detroit just two weeks ago with four exhibition games.
Teams and players always talk about the chemistry being in place, but there is more to it that just caring about each other. Chemistry shows up on the ice and was hugely evident on the team’s second goal when young defender, Jack Kopfstein fired a 60-foot tape to tape pass on a power from the left side of the blue line to the right side of the blue paint where Cartland was waiting to tie the game at 2-2. Clearly the guys are becoming aware of where their linemates will be ahead of time.
The Ducks scored powerplay goals in both games and while the Cougars were also successful on the powerplay as well, the Ducks stepped up with some big kills in the dying minutes of the second period in both games and also killed off a five-minute major Friday.
The Ducks might be a young team, but some rookies are making their presence felt out of the game. Cartland has five goals and seven points in four games while Caden Glamkowski (‘04/St. Charles, IL) is among the league leaders with three goals and a half dozen assists. Bryce Jacobsen was an offensive leader for the Ducks last season, collecting nine points in 23 games. So far this season, the rugged center has already collected seven points in four games and has been dominant on faceoffs in both ends of the ice.

The Ducks have a couple tough assignments coming up as they wrap up the second half of its eight-straight home games to open the regular season against the Minnesota Moose (Oct. 9-10) and Minnesota Blue Ox (Oct. 16-17), but they are off this coming weekend, giving the team extra time to prepare for these four games. The Moose and Blue Ox represented the Midwest-West Division at Nationals this past season and have competed in the top half of the division since entering the league five seasons ago.

Jacobsen’s ot goal completes Ducks comeback win

By JIm den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The Dells Ducks rallied back from a pair of lopsided defeats the previous weekend with a thrilling 5-4 overtime edge against the Chicago Cougars for the team’s first win of the 2021-22 USPHL Premier regular season.

A marked improvement was already in place on Wednesday night when the Ducks played host to the UW-Oshkosh Titans and the team showed character battling back from a two-goal deficit twice before grabbing its first lead of the game and the season when Bryce Jacobsen (‘02/DeForest, WI) slammed home a pass from Caden Glamkowski (‘04/St. Charles, IL)with just under two minutes to go in the overtime period.

Dells Ducks

For Jacobsen, the goal was his third point of the night while Caden Glamkowski finished with two goals and two assists. Jacob Cartland (‘02/East Troy, WI) fired the other two goals.

The Cougars built a 2-0 lead through the game’s first six minutes with goals from Brenden Miranda (‘03/Romeoville, IL) and Michael Sliwinski (‘01/Franklin Park, IL).

Cartland got the Ducks on the board with his second goal of the season with 8;12 to play in the opening frame then added another on a Ducks’ powerplay a little more than four minutes later.

Teams were even heading to the middle frame, but goals from Andreas Zorn (‘02/Chicago, IL) and Daniel Danko (‘02/Skokie, IL) restored the Cats’ two-goal cushion.

A key point for the Ducks came late in the middle period when they killed off its first two-minute minor of the game and another 90 seconds or so of sustained pressure before the second period buzzer sounded.

Glamkowski made it a one-goal contest 3:09 into the period and pulled his team even with his second goal a little after three minutes later, tying the game and setting the stage for Jacobsen’s overtime heroics.

Anthony Falzone (‘03/St. Charlies, IL) turned in easily his best effort in a Ducks’ uniform, kicking out 60 Cougars’ shots while the Ducks tested MIke Lenhart (‘01/Syracuse, NY) stopped 32 in goal for the Cougs.

The same two teams are scheduled to square off again Saturday (September 25) at 7:30 p.m. at the Lake Delton Ice Arena.

Ducks entertain Titans in exhibition contest

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The Dells Ducks got a midweek tune-up in preparation for its second home weekend of the United States Premier Hockey League Premier Midwest-West Regular season with an exhibition game against the UW Oshkosh Titans at the Lake Delton Ice Arena.

Dells Ducks

The Titans collected a 4-1 win, carrying a 2-1 margin out of the opening period and adding two more in the third.

A surprisingly physical and chippy exhibition contest showed a Ducks team not afraid to go toe-to-toe with the older squad, but also a little more disciplined on the night. As a result, the Ducks were assessed 14 minutes in minor penalties while the Titans sat 47 minutes including a five-minute major and a 10-minute misconduct.

Trent Bachman, a former member of the Dells Ducks was a captain for the Titans and his younger brother Sam Bachman suited up for the Ducks after debuting for the team this past weekend.

The Bachman brothers squared off in an exhibition contest at Lake Delton Ice Arena Wednesday night. On the left is Trent Bachman who played with the Ducks last season with his younger brother Sam. Both are defensemen.

Oshkosh hit the scoreboard first 6:44 into the contest but Jake Cartland equalized just 94 seconds later.

The winning goal came about three minutes later. After a scoreless middle frame, the Titans clinched the win with two more down the stretch.

The Ducks will be back in action this weekend against the Chicago Cougars in their third and fourth of eight straight home games to open the regular season.

For a weekend preview, the Ducks are asking fans to join us at Bobbers Island Grill on Thursday night to support former Ducks player Colin Cross who now is a successful Nashville-based County Western musician.

Happy Birthday Jacobsen

Bryce Jacobsen was looking for a place to play last season as the DeForest Norskies suspended play for its varsity hockey team due to the pandemic restrictions, in particular in Dane County. The Ducks are so happy he came looking in the Dells area.

Jacobsen tested the ice and liked the environment with the Ducks, signing on to play the final 23 games of the season. The center was an instant fit and went to to scoring five goals and add four assists through the remainder of the season.

Back for the 2021-22 season, Jacobsen was recently named one of the four team captains and despite a rough ride on the weekend against the visiting Rum River Mallards, Jacobsen scored a goal on a penalty shot and added an assist.

On Wednesday, Jacobsen celebrated his 19th Birthday. Saukhockey.info and the Dells Ducks want to wish Jacobsen a Happy Birthday

Bryce Jacobsen (middle) celebrates a Dells Ducks goal this past weekend with teammates Logan Dineen (left) and Carter Lewis. — Photo Courtesy Gary Wiles

Locals contribute on TW Peewee Combine squads

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The local representation on Team Wisconsin has grown again with four Sauk County peewee aged players playing on two different teams in the TW Fall Combine program.

There are four teams in the 2010 group with three locals – Landen Uminski from RWD along with Sauk Prairie Eagles players Alexander Kirk and Michael Jolicoeur play on Team Black.

The other three teams are Team White, Team Red and Team Grey.

The 2009 teams has three teams including Ethan Wilcox on Team Red which competes against Team White and Team Black.

Teams went through a couple weeks of practices and entered their round robin play this past weekend.

2010 Black

The 2010 teams played at the McFarland Community Ice Arena. Team Black found the going tough with a 10-2 defeat in its opener against Team White, then rebounded with a 6-5 edge against the same team later in the day.

In the opening game, Uminski scored one of the goals and Kirk picked up an assist. The later contest saw Jolicoeur getting in on the action with a goal and assist in a game dominated by Carson Schroeder who scored four times for Team Black.

On Sunday, Team Black will move on to Fond du Lac, playing a pair of games against Team Red at the Blue Line Family Ice Center at 1 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.

Team Red opened play with a 3-3 draw and a 6-4 win in Appleton last weekend.

2009 Red

Wilcox and the 2009 Team Red are in control of the play so far in the 2009 division, opening play at Oshkosh Community YMCA with a 3-1 win against Team Black followed by a 5-3 win against Team White.

Ethan Wilcox picked up an assist in the second game. He and Team Red will hit the road to South Wood County Recreation Center in Wisconsin Rapids Sunday, squaring off against Team Black at 1 p.m. followed immediately at 2:15 p.m against Team White.

Both teams will wrap up their round robin play the following weekend.

Mast, TW 16U take two of four at Minnesota tourney

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

Luke Mast, a junior at Sauk Prairie High School and his Team Wisconsin 16U teammates headed to a massive tournament in Brooklyn Park, in the Twin Cities suburbs this past weekend, wrapping it up with two wins and two defeats.

After opening on Friday (September 17) with an impressive 6-1 win against Honeybaked, from the Detroit area, TW was back later the same day, dropping a 4-3 decision to the Chicago Mission. On Saturday, Team Wisconsin edged the Windy City Storm 2-1 but the tournament ended Sunday with a 5-1 loss against Little Caesar’s, another Detroit-based AAA squad.

Team Wisconsin 6 Honeybaked 1

Mast got things started in the weekend opener, scoring the first of two unanswered first period goals for Team Wisconsin. The other first period goal came from Carsen Gause (Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln Red Raiders).

TW added two more in the second before Honeybaked got on the board and it was a 5-1 game heg to the third.

Other Team Wisconsin goals were added by Michael McIntee (Sophomore – Notre Dame Academy Tritons); Talan Blanck (St. Mary’s Springs Ledgers); Brady Engelkes (Middleton Cardinals) and Jack Bowe (Chippewa Falls Cardinals). Devin Schutt (Sophomore – Arrowhead Tomahawks) stopped all but one of the 14 shots he faced in goal for TW.

Chicago Mission 4 Team Wisconsin 3

Teams traded first period goals in this one and it was Team Wisconsin up 2-1 heading to the third period.

Another goal in the first minute of the final period made it a two-goal margin, but the Mission responded with a goal a minute later, then the tying and winning goals in the final seven minutes of the contest.

Jack McGregor (Freshman – University School of Milwaukee Wildcats), Brody Dietz (Hudson Raiders) and Engelkes scored the Team Wisconsin goals while Adam Timm (Sophomore – Rice Lake Warriors) collected two assists.

Team Wisconsin 2 Windy City Storm 1

Saturday Team Wisconsin lined up against Windy City Storm for the fourth time this season and collected the third win rallying back from a 1-0 first period deficit with a second period goal from Engelkes and the game winner early in the third scored by McGregor.

Schutt added a second win with 17 saves on 18 shots.

Little Caesar’s 5 Team Wisconsin 1

Little Caesar’s scored in the game’s first minute and built a 3-0 cushion by the end of the first period.

Reece Cordray (Verona Wildcats) pulled one back early in the second period but that was as close as Team Wisconsin could get in this one.

TW at USHL Season Opening Showcase

This weekend will see Team Wisconsin embarking on an amazing weekend trip to Pittsburgh, playing alongside the nation’s only Tier 1 Junior Hockey League as the USHL holds a Showcase tournament to open its regular season.

Scouts from junior leagues, colleges and the National Hockey League will be on hand for this high caliber event.

Team Wisconsin will start out against Gilmour Academy from Gates Mills, Ohio at 6 p.m. Saturday at Alpha Ice Complex. On Sunday at 8 a.m. TW will play the RI Saints at 8 a.m. at Baier Ice Complex, followed with another game at 2:15 p.m. at Robert Morris University against Florida Aliance, wrapping it all up on Monday against an opponent and at a venue still to be determined.