By Jim den Hollander
Editor/Publisher
Saukhockey.info
A 17-save shutout for Alex Griebe helped the RWD Bantam Cheavers wrap up a 3-0 win against the Verona Wildcats at Reedsburg Area Community Arena (RACA) on Sunday (Jan. 10).
The Cheavers collected a goal in each period, waiting until the final seconds of the frame on the first two.
Tristan Edgerton collected the game winner converting a pass from Carter Renneberg as the buzzer sounded to end the first period and Bryton Clark notched the second just 14 ticks from the end of the middle period from Tye Barney and Jason Hess.
Nick McPherson added the insurance marker early in the final period from Alec Breunig and Renneberg.
RWD outshot the Wildcats 26-17, the widest margin coming in the middle frame when the home team held a 13-3 advantage.
The win boosted the team’s overall season record to 16-5 and this weekend the team hits the road to a Sparta tournament beginning Saturday with a 10 a.m. game against the Oregon Panthers and then back at 2 p.m. against the Sparta Spartans.
Bantam Cheavers have not played either team yet this season.
Next home game for the Cheavers will be next Saturday against Onalaska.
Tristan Edgerton’s goal at the first period buzzer ended up being the game winner on Sunday
On the Saturday, the Cheavers battled the Madison West Polar Caps twice, collecting a lopsided 5-1 win early in the day, then pressed to the final minute in the afternoon rematch, an empty netter with just under a minute to go finally clinching a 4-2 decision.
Alex Griebe kicked out everything fired at him until the Caps finally found an opening, robbing him of a shutout inside the final 20 seconds of the contest.
The Saints fired the equalizer 4:32 into the second but Clark slammed a pass from Carter Renneberg home to put the Cheavers in front again just over a minute later. Another goal late in the period had teams even at 2-2 with a period to play.
After opening the tournament with a 9-0 shutout against SHAW (Southeastern Hockey Association of Wisconsin) in its opening contest, the bantams ran into a tough opponent from Monroe, falling 11-0 to the Avalanche which ultimately sent the locals to the third-place contest against the host Black River Falls squad.
Nolan Pope opened and closed the scoring for the Cheavers with RJ Manley contributing a hat trick and an assist. Kaden Uminski collected a goal and two assists with other goals for Alec Breunig, Gus DeFosse and Devin Hughes and single assists for Carter Renneberg and Tristan Edgerton.
RWD saw the other side of a quick start in its second game, falling behind 4-0 in the first before stemming the tide to a single goal against down the second. But the Avalanche continued to cover the Cheavers in the third with another half dozen unanswered goals.
If they were intimidated in the rematch it didn’t show as RWD sandwiched a long Tigers’ marker in the first period with two of their own, from Breunig and Uminski. Nick McPherson and Breunig had assists on the Uminski goal.
Community Arena (RACA). The Polar Caps B and Polar Caps B (Blue) from West Madison will make up the opposition Saturday with games at 10:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. respectively before Dubuque Junior Saints wrap it up with a 4:45 p.m. faceoff on Sunday.
Sauk Hockey 