By Jim den Hollander
Editor/Publisher
Saukhockey.info
Despite coming up way short in a 6-0 defeat in the Baraboo/Portage Thunderbirds varsity hockey home opener, goaltender Burke Schweda came up with another superhero effort between the pipes.
It took the visiting Waupun Warriors 19:59 to find a way past the Baraboo/Portage sophomore goaltender and by the time they did, he had already blanked them with 18 first period saves and was on his way to an unreal 31 stops on 34 shots in the middle period.
That the Warriors scored five more and captured the shutout win seems moot when held up against an amazing 67-stop effort for the young keeper. Schweda has now made 129 stops through his first two contests of the season. So while his 6.50 Goals Against Average won’t turn any heads, a .908 Save Percentage is positively sparkling.
Warriors scored three in both the second and third period, led by three off the stick of senior Payson Landal, two from junior Nate Batzler and the ice breaker scored by sophomore Dylan Pribbenow.
The loss dropped the T-Birds to 0-2 on the season so far while the Warriors, from the Badgerland Conference were playing their opening game of the season.
The road won’t get any easier for the Thunderbirds who open Badger West Conference play Monday (Nov. 28) making the trip to LeBahn Ice Arena in Madison to take on the defending conference champion Madison Edgewood Crusaders who will be both hungry and angry after also opening their regular season with an 0-2 record.
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