Day: January 4, 2022

Eagles roll past Marquette to win Culver’s Cup

By Jim den Hollander 

Editor/Publisher  

Saukhockey.info 

The Sauk Prairie Eagles wrapped up a perfect weekend in the Madison area, collecting the Culver’s Cup in its first try. 

Thrilled to be among the eight teams in the varsity division for the first time, the Eagles used a 10-4 win against Oshkosh Ice Hawks and a 8-0 shutout against the Marshfield Tigers to roll into the championship game.  

The Marquette Hilltoppers were the final team in their path and the Eagles rolled over them 4-0 with another big game for the Mast brothers, senior Nick and junior Luke along with senior Erik Peterson who combine for one of the most potent lines in the league. 

Through the first two games, the trio combined for a total of 14 goals and 25 points.  

Sophomore Karsyn Banta scored the game winner 2:41 into the contest from Nick and first year Gunnar Nachreiner. 

The high scoring trio took over from there, Luke scoring later in the period with set ups for the other two and Peterson adding insurance with a pair of middle period goals, both with assists for Luke and additional help from senior Hakon Peterson on the first. 

In goal, juniors Kaden Stracke and Brooks McInenerny shared the shutout, combining to stop all 17 shots faced.  

The three wins at the Culver’s Cup tournament boosted the Eagles’ overall record to 9-2 and runs its current winning streak to six games.  

The team will begin the second half of the season on home ice at Sauk Prairie Area Recreation Center on Monday (Jan. 3) wrapping up the first half of its Badger West schedule. On Thursday the same team will be in Monroe at SLICE to take on the host Cheesemakers.  

Advertisement

Full team effort results in Monk’s tourney win

By Jim den Hollander 

Editor/Publisher  

Saukhockey.info 

Talk about a team effort! 

The RWD Cheavers wrapped up its second straight and fifth overall Monk’s Cheeseburger Classic Dec. 30 with the best effort of the season so far from every player involved in a 5-2 win against the Wisconsin Rapids Red Raiders.

As a result, the team allowed the game’s first goal 33 seconds in, then scored five of the next six for a dominant 5-2 win and a platter full of Monk’s Cheeseburgers. 

The Championship game brought together the same two teams as last year—a game won 6-0 by the home side. In between through, the Red Raiders collected a 3-2 win in the season opening contest with wide 36-15 edge on the shot clock. 

This time around, the Cheavers held a one-shot edge in all three periods on its way to a 31-28 total. Teams were even at 1-1 and 2-2 after the first two periods respectively, the Cheavers showing itself to have a little more in the gas tank heading into the third period of the game and ninth period in a 48-hour stretch. 

Senior C.J. Pfaff sank his first of a pair of third period goals early in the final period to put the Cheavers in front to stay, but a major penalty infraction a short time later gave the home side another challenge to overcome.  

A short time later though on the kill, Pfaff found junior Caden Brandt that sent him on an end-to-end rush and a flip shot over the stick of Rapids’ goaltender, senior Dakota Blasky to pad the lead and add a little insurance. 

Pfaff added a clincher a short time later, his third point of the period, unassisted after picking off a cross ice pass in the offensive zone. 

Sophomore Brady Baldwin fired the team’s first period goal, from senior Tomas Kordorfer and Brandt notched his first of two in the middle period from senior Trevor Slaght. 

Senior Cooper Oakes picked up the win in goal but was forced to the bench with a little under four minutes to play after cracking the blade on one of his skates. That allowed freshman Alex Griebe a chance to make his varsity debut on a grand stage. 

A great weekend effort and a great prize for the effort. Congrats to the RWD Cheavers for its second consecutive tournament win and congrats to Monk’s for making a mean Cheeseburger.

Griebe, currently riding a four-game shutout streak as the junior varsity goaltender, teammed up with his mates to keep the crease clean four the final few minutes, triggering the celebration. 

At the buzzer, RWD celebrates a 5-2 win against the Wisconsin Rapids Red Raiders and its second consecutive Monk’s Cheeseburger Classic Championship

Solid play at this tournament is often used as a trigger to a big second half for the Cheavers. This season the Cheavers have flirted with the .500 mark, just under or just over, but the three wins at the Lake Delton Ice Arena has the team riding a five-game winning streak with a record of 9-5 heading into 2022. 

The second half begins with a non-conference test against the Waupaca Comets (7-5, 2-1 Great Northern) at the Waupaca Expo Center Tuesday (Jan. 4) at 7 p.m.  

Next home game will see the team returning to Badger West Conference play against the Oregon Panthers (9-5, 3-2 Badger West). The same two teams met in Oregon on Dec. 14, the host Panthers collecting a 5-1 win.