Peewee Flyers wrap up dream season with state crown

Members of the Sauk Prairie Peewee ‘A’ Flyers were all smiles after capturing the WAHA Peewee 3A State Championship in Ashland on Sunday (March 12). Team members include in numerical order: Haakon Hoeltke; Logan Harrington; Alexander Kirk; Braden Schlough; Brayton Bahe; Natalee Gesicki; Davis Lombard; Bryce Ballweg; Benjamin Freeman; Oswald Tippery; Michael Jolicoeur and Reid Knoll. Photo Courtesy Dave Jolicoeur

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The Sauk Prairie Peewee ‘A’ Flyers were selected as the top seed for the Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association (WAHA) 3A Peewee State Championship tournament in Ashland, WI this past weekend and went to work making that to be correct.

After moving to the winning side of the draw with a 10-0 shutout against Marshfield peewees Saturday morning, the team returned to the ice a few hours later and earned its spot in the championship game with a 9-5 edge against Black River Falls.

In the championship game Sunday afternoon, the Flyers doubled the Tomahawk Hatchets 6-3 to claim the championship plaque and banner.

The peewees set the table for its state championship with a 29-10-2 record including a 6-2 win against the RWD Peewee Cheavers in their Regional test Feb. 5 to officially qualify for the state event.

Following that, the locals dropped its next three before rebounding from an 8-2 loss against Onalaska with an 8-0 win against the same team on the same day. The Flyers rolled from there with a 6-2-1 run to wrap up the season. Clearly the team was firing on all cylinders heading to Ashland.

“We really felt good about how we were playing last weekend heading into the tournament,” said Coach Dave Jolicoeur in an email interview. “The kids were loose and having fun. We were in a really good spot.”

Flyers 10 Blades 0

The Flyers opened tournament play with a 10-0 win against the Marshfield peewee Blades, a team they had not faced this season.

The game was all but over by the time the first period buzzer sounded as the Flyers pounded the Blades’ goal with eighth unanswered tallies. Single goals in the second and third wrapped it up.

Leading the scoring parade was hat tricks for both Michael Joliceour and Natalee Gesicki. Brayton Bahe chipped in a goal and three assists, Braden Schlough and Davis Lombard both adding a goal and assist. The other goal came from Reid Knoll and Kirk Alexander had a pair of set ups.

The opening round of games eliminated half the field from a shot at the state title and moved the Flyers along with Black River Falls, Somerset and Tomahawk to the Championship semis.

While the team had not faced Marshfield before, Jolicoeur said he and his players were confident heading into the contest.

“We didn’t have any butterflies going into that game. For the core of the 2010’s on this team, it was their third trip to State so they knew what it was all about.

“We also got a look at Marshfield at the Altoona tournament (Jan. 28-29), so even though we hadn’t played the, we got to see them in action before the State Tournament. Coming out strong against them and scoring so early n the first period let us know our kids were ready to make a run at this thing.”

Flyers 9 Tigers 5

Saturday night against the Black River Falls Tigers, the Flyers were a facing a team it defeated 7-5 and 12-6 in exhibition games at Sauk Prairie Area Recreation Center (SPARC) on Dec. 3, then 9-5 and 5-3 in Black River Falls Jan. 15.

Once again the team found its offense early, grabbing a 3-0 first period lead. Both teams added a pair in the middle frame and the Flyers outlasted the Tigers in a wild third period with a 4-3 edge to make the 9-5 final.

Logan Harrington set the pace in this one scoring two and adding three helpers for the Flyers. Jolicoeur and Bahe both scored two more, Bahe adding an assist. Kirk, Lombard and Knoll had the other goals with assists for Haakon Hoeltke, Schlough and Gesicki.

Jolicoeur said despite the success againt BRF in earlier matches, the team wasn’t overconfident heading into the game it needed to win to reach the state championship match.

“We were feeling good, but two of our four previous games against Black River Falls were two-goal games with the last of those including an empty netter,” said Jolicoeur. “It’s tough to beat a good team like that five times in a season. They’ve got some talented skaters, especially Brooke Lakowske. She’s tough, if not impossible to contain.”

That win put the Flyers three periods away from a state championship game, going up against the Tomahawk Hatchets, also 2-0 with an 8-2 win against Beaver Dam and a 6-3 doubling of Somerset.

The Flyers previously played the Hatchets at a tournament in Waupaca Jan. 7-8 collecting 8-3 and 8-1 wins.

Flyers 6 Hatchets 3

Tomahawks flipped the script a bit on the Flyers scoring the first pair and carrying a 2-0 cushion to the middle period. Teams were even at 2-2 heading to the third and a 4-1 margin through the final period put it away for the Flyers.

Jolicoeur said the Tomahawk team has bolstered with the addition of defenseman Jake Albert, a member of the 2010 Team Wisconsin team who is double rostered and played with the bantam squad through most of the season.

“He played with the Tomahawk bantam team that won state (the previous weekend,” said the coach. “We knew he’d be a challenge and he factored in an all three of their goals.

“We came out nervous and tight for the championship game and found ourselves down 2-0 after a period. We just told the kids to loosen up and get back to playing hockey. They were scoring nine goals a game (average) coming into the championship game and we knew the goals were going to come.

“By the end of the second period we tied it and never trailed again.”

Bahe scored the goal that would stand up as the state championship winner 8:19 into the period, his second of the contest and Jolicoeur scored his first of a pair seconds later to put his team in cruise control.

“Going up 4-3 and then scoring our fifth 16 seconds later probably took a bit of wind out of their sails,” said Jolicoeur. “Then, about two minues later, we got the sixth which pretty much put a comeback out of reach.”

Kirk and Harrington scored the other goals, Schlough setting up a pair and other assists for Kirk, Jolicoeur, Gesicki and Knoll.

In goal, Benjamin Freeman put in the work, kicking out 26 of 29 shots and picking up the win in all three games.

Coach Jolicoeur is of course pleased with the efforts of his team throughout the season and said as early as the beginning of the season the team was destined for greatness.

“We knew going in that it could be a special year,” said the Coach. Two years ago, the core of this team went into the 2021 State Tournament looking pretty good. We then lost a heartbreaker first game to Somerset 5-4. That was a game we had in hand until we had some emotional and mental breakdowns that began a parade to the penalty box.

“Give credit to the kids though. They learned from that experience and even being down 2-0 after the first to Tomahawk, they stayed positive and didn’t have those types of breakdowns. They were able to channelize that energy, stay mentally tough and go out and battle their way back into the game.

“That growth and maturity for this team was really a neat thing to experience and a great life lesson for these kids.”

After celebrating at the rink, the Flyers players and families paid a price, with what Coach Jolicoeur called “A white-knuckle driving experience,” returning home through a snowstorm. Plans for a team celebration are currently in the works.

“Winning a State Championship is a special and rare occasion, so we want to make sure we acknowledge it.”

Congrats from Saukhockey.info to all team players, Coach Dave Jolicoeur, Assistant Coaches Michael Freeman, Jeffrey Harrington and Brian Schlough and Team Manager Ryan Kirk.

Seniors highlighted at RWD final banquet

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The RWD Cheavers officially wrapped up the 2022-23 campaign Saturday night with its banquet/awards event at Bobber’s in Lake Delton.

Among the announcements at the event was the return of the entire coaching staff – Head Coach Neil Mattson, Assistant Coaches Mike Welch and Jeramy Greenwood, Goaltending Coach Rick Allison and junior varsity co/coaches Joe Uminski and Cade Mattson.

One change though will be Greenwood doing some double duty in the upcoming season as a counsellor, available for players who may be experiencing mental or emotional challenges. This change was deemed necessary by the coaches with some recent events and the recent local, national and international attention given to mental health issues in athletes.

“We’re hopeful this can be helpful for the young guys,” said Mattson.

After dinner, Mattson addressed the players and parents, setting goals (15-9 regular season record) for 2023-24 and praising the players for their respective roles this past season with special attention for the seniors.

It’s fitting the seniors garnered the attention as Mattson routinely relies on and leans heavily on the fourth-year skaters and they always deliver for him.

The Cheavers played through an interesting season, finishing the regular season at 14-10 and moving on to a 1-1 post season, ended by state tournament bound Verona Wildcats who feasted on the Badger West Conference with wins against the Cheavers, Sauk Prairie Eagles and Madison Edgewood Crusaders en-route to the state tourney.

Mattson pointed at the nine losses by a single goal as evidence things could have been much different with a few bounces.

Mattson said the senior players posted an overall record of 57-40-1 during their time with the Cheavers.

Honored first were the six team managers including senior Kaitlin Elder who stepped in this season as the team videographer and another pair of seniors, Stella Scott and Olga Hernandez who wrapped up a four-year run with the team. Other managers, Autumn Gillman, Megan Franz and Lydia Eastman were named and all six were presented with a gift from the coaches.

Seniors

From there, Mattson highlighted the performance of the team’s nine seniors including in order of jersey number:

John Scott – Scott relished the senior role collecting 19 goals and 34 points, nearly double the 19 points from his junior year. Over his four-year varsity career (including playoffs) Scott collected 64 points for the Cheavers and his aggressive physical play worked well.

John Scott (Photo Courtesy Jessica Othmer)

Mattson said Scott “played with passion…for the love of the game. He played for all the right reasons.”

Lukas Vana – Vana, a foreign exchange student from Czech Republic immediately improved the team on defense, making his presence felt on offense as will with five goals and 23 points on the season. Vana also fit in well off the ice said Mattson.

Lukas Vana (Photo Courtesy Jessica Othmer)

“He was one of the funniest guys in the locker room,” recalled the coach.

Caden Brandt – Simply put, Brandt is one of the greatest players to represent the Blue and White jersey and the Brandt brothers will be tough to replace. A class act both on and off the ice, Brandt overcame an early season injury scare to wrap up his third 20-goal campaign with 37 regular season points.

Caden Brandt (Photo Courtesy Jessica Othmer

Over his career, Brandt put up 86 goals, second most in team history. He was an obvious First Team All-Badger Conference selection and moves on with a 142-point total. The best part of his stats could be the penalty minutes total – 24 minutes in 87 regular season contests.

Carsen Brandt – The defender gave an indication of his mental toughness came in his junior year when Brandt shrugged off a shoulder injury, putting off surgery until after the season.

Carsen Brandt (Photo Courtesy Jessica Othmer)

He returned 100 percent healthy for his senior year and was a leader on the blueline, called on in every situation. Like his brother, Brandt played clean, sitting just 32 minutes through 83 games and that was important as both were relied on heavily in penalty kill situations.

Also, a First Team All-Badger Conference member and a leader by example, Mattson summed up the thoughts of everyone in attendance saying, “Thank you for all you have done for this program.”

Yevgeny Dedun (Photo Courtesy Jessica Othmer)

Yevgeny Dedun – Dedun “Had a wonderful senior season,” said Mattson of the hard-nosed forward whose contributions don’t always show up on a score sheet. Dedun’s physical style punished opposition players and like the Brandt brothers he did it while avoiding infractions. Dedun was charged with just give minor penalties in the 22 games played this season despite being a physical player.

Caleb Eastman – Like Dedun, Eastman was an energy player who made the varsity lineup in his senior season through hard work and a great mental attitude. “He never complained,” said Mattson classifying the rugged winger as “one of the greatest role players you could ask for.” His hard work paid off as Eastman collected his first varsity goal.

Caleb Eastman (Photo Courtesy Jessica Othmer)

Nate Stando (Photo Courtesy Jessica Othmer)

Logan DeMars – Another anchor on the blueline, along with Brandt and Vana, DeMars chipped in on defensive unit that later shared a team award. Mattson said DeMars helped produce a “solid foundation on the blue line,” limiting opposition chances or making them fire the puck from well outside the scoring zone. DeMars has been counted on heavily by the varsity team, playing all 24 regular season games in both his junior and senior seasons and suiting up in a four-year total of 89 games.

Logan DeMars (Photo Courtesy Jessica Othmer)

Nate Stando – Perhaps the biggest improvement among the seniors came from Stando who used his size and reach to become a regular for the Cheavers. Mattson described his three-goal, 10-point season as a “breakout season,” adding his ability to find chemistry with whoever he was on the ice with as a plus.

Conner Putz (Photo Courtesy Jessica Othmer)

“He bounced around from line to line,” early in the season said Mattson adding he fit in well with whoever he was on the ice with.

“He never worried about minutes, he just wanted to be a part of it.”

Conner Putz – Hard work and a positive attitude helped Putz get into the varsity lineup for a half dozen games in his senior season and he was also on the roster for the post season, a great reward for a player who did whatever was asked of him.

“He shows up every game with a positive attitude and a smile on his face,” said Mattson.

Awards

The Coaches wrapped up the night with the presentation of several team awards for both the junior varsity and varsity teams.

The coaches will all be back with RWD in the fall including from left: Rick Allison; Cade Mattson; Neil Mattson; Mike Welch and Jeramy Greenwood. Absent from the photo (with a team playing at the State tournament is Joe Uminski. (Photo Courtesy Jen Baldwin).

First, the JV squad honored a trio of players, Tristan Edgerton collecting Offensive Player of the Year honors and Nolan Pope earning Defensive Player of the Year while rugged defender Carter Renneberg received the ‘Mr. Hustle’ Award.

Coaches honored the entire defense corps, including of course, sophomore goaltender Alex Griebe for an awesome effort this past season.

With a penalty killing success rate of 84% among some other great statistics, Mattson said the defense corps “was one of the most solid groups we’ve had,” as a squad.

Also honored were the six team members that shared the role of team captain for 2022-23 including seniors John Scott, Caden Brandt, Carsen Brandt, Yevgeny Dedun and Logan Demars along with junior Brady Baldwin. Mattson also announced Baldwin will return as a captain in the fall along with incoming senior defender Iszak Elder.

Caden Brandt and John Scott became a two-headed scoring monster for the Cheavers this season and it was fitting they shared the Offensive Player of the Year Award and Nate Stando was rewarded for his breakout campaign as an easy selection for Most Improved Player.

Caden Brandt returned to pick up the ‘Triple D’ (Dedication/Desire/Discipline) Award and the Hobey Baker Character Award was handed to Caleb Eastman celebrating his attitude.

Each Coach presented a Coaches Legacy Award beginning with Coach Allison who honored Putz with his Award.

Coach Welch described Carsen Brandt as “Coachable, Respectful with a desire to Improve, all while keeping a minimum 3.0 Grade Point Average for his Award.

Coach Greenwood gave his honor to junior Brendan Bychinski who he described as “Dedicated and Put the team first.

Mattson gave his Legacy honor to Nate Stando, who he described as “Coachable” and a Character player with a willingness to Learn.”

Also honored with Certificates, pins and in some cases, varsity letters in order were” Geo Rivas; Kaden Uminski; Nolan Pope; Tristan Edgerton; Trey Lariden; RJ Manley; Gus DeFosse; Mark Othmer; Carter Renneberg; Andrey Tougas; Kadin Bergenske; Jaxon Hess; Iszak Elder; Tye Barney; Bryan Mammos; Alec Breunig; Jonny Mata; Bryton Clark; Brendan Bychinski; and Alex Griebe.

Wrapping up the evening, the players took over the role of presenters, honoring their coaches along with announcer Brad Droste and the team’s public relations standout Jennifer Baldwin.

With many players moving on already to spring sports, Mattson said the team will once again welcome the incoming freshmen and begin the bonding experience with some off-season events, beginning with a grueling four-mile run and cookout June 12 and continue it with summer hockey and other bonding activities, all leading up to the start of a new season in November.