By Jim den Hollander
Editor/Publisher
Saukhockey.info
The Badger Lightning varsity girl’s hockey team is entering a new, interesting period with a lot of new faces in the lineup.
Some of the seniors on this team were present for the Covid season, a team with exactly two lines desperately trying to stay healthy as any absences would be devastating, blessed with a young team with no graduations pending that season.
Now four short seasons later the team enters having to replace one of the strongest group of players the team has season but blessed with nearly 30 players allowing the team to operate a full junior varsity program.
More than 40 of last season’s 73 goals left through graduation and the number grew with the relocation of incoming senior Reese Olson over the summer. She would have been the team’s offensive leader this season and also gone is sophomore defender Dayana Merrell who is exploring the AAA route with the Madison Capitols.
But Head Coach Rick Capener is confident an energetic crew led by senior co-captains Madchen Ewig and Karsen Nicksic along with senior goaltender Alyssa Gada and a solid supporting staff of seniors, juniors sophomores and freshmen will keep the team in Badger midpack, if not a move higher in the standings.
The team backed up his claim with a solid showing in their pre-season scrimmage in Sun Prairie this past weekend.
Junior Kayla Garbacz could be one to watch as she is among the scoring leader of returning players and she plays the same aggressive style that Kayla Capener, Mallory Ruland, Bella Bowden and Olson contributed last season. Nicksic, Ewig and others will also be contributors on a lineup that could be a bit deeper and more balanced than previous seasons.
With Gada and now first year goaltender Olivia Renneberg as the back stoppers and a solid d-corps led by sophomore Paige Othmer, there may not be a need for as many goals to pull out wins as well.
The WIAA regular season gets underway Saturday on the road as the Lightning travels to the Mullet Ice Center in Hartland to take on the Arrowhead Warhawks. The Lightning started last season on home ice against the Warhawks as well, dropping a 6-1 decision.
Lightning will follow that up with four straight on home ice starting Tuesday with a visit from the Coulee Region Cyclones.
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