Late goal lifts Golden Beavers into draw with Eagles

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

A third period goal lifted former conference rival Beaver Dam Golden Beavers into a 3-3 deadlock with the high-flying Sauk Prairie Eagles in their Badger Challenge match at Sauk Prairie Area Recreation Center (SPARC) on Friday, Jan. 13.

The Eagles and Golden Beavers hold down second spot in the Badger West and Badger East respectively and showed there isn’t much separating them head-to-head. Last season, these matches were all held on the same day in Sun Prairie but this season it is up to the respective teams to schedule their contest.

The Eagles entered the game with a 13-3-2 record, 7-1 in Badger West Conference play. The Golden Beavers were 9-4 on the season including 5-1 in Badger East Conference play.

Teams were even at 1-1 after a period as senior Luke Mast opened the scoring from freshman Josh Mast and junior Colin Harrington with 5:47 to play in the period only to have senior Alex Woods tie it for the Golden Beavers 1:32 later.

The Eagles took control 3-2 in the second with goals from senior Landon Clary and freshman Landon Froese. Luke Mast set up both with another assist for Harrington. Junior Jacob Lont countered with the long Beaver Dam marker in between the two Eagles’s goals.

Woods fired his second of the game just five seconds from the third period horn to pull the Golden Beavers even and teams were scoreless through an eight-minute overtime period.

Shots were almost even as well, Eagles’ senior goaltender Kaden Stracke stopping 34 while junior Henry Vick kicked out 35 for the Golden Beavers.

The Eagles were scheduled to move on to play a non-conference home game against Stevens Point Pacelli on Tuesday, then face a huge conference test against the Edgewood Crusaders on Thursday.

Team Wisconsin 18U gets back into win column

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

After enjoying a rare weekend off, the Team Wisconsin 18U squad including Erik Peterson, a senior with the Sauk Prairie Eagles, returned to Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League play and snapped a seven-game winless streak.

TW played four games on home ice at Chippewa Falls, beginning with a pair of wins against Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine (6-3, 7-4), the first on Friday (Oct. 15) night and the other early Saturday. Later Saturday, the team grabbed its third win of the weekend, taking the first of two against Twin Cities Orthopedics 2-1. TCO denied the Wisconsin squad a weekend sweep, taking the final game of the weekend 10-4.

Team Wisconsin 6 Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine 3

On Friday night, the visitors hit the scoreboard first but TW owned a 2-1 edge after a period and matched the same total in both the second and third.

Josh Austin (Senior – St. Mary’s Springs Ledgers) paced the TW attack with three goals, Callan Buddinger (Notre Dame Academy Tritons) adding two and setting up another three and Ian Engel (Senior – Neenah/Hortonville/Menasha Rockets) scored the other. Peterson picked up a minor penalty in the contest.

Brian Fixmer (Senior – Chippewa Falls Cardinals) turned in a stellar performance between the pipes, stopping 43 shots to lead the team to a win in a wild 88-shot contest

Team Wisconsin 7 Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine 4

After grabbing a 2-1 first period lead on Saturday morning, TW all but settled this one with a four-goal second period explosion and a 6-2 lead heading to the third.

Jon Wiebusch (Senior – Edgewood Crusaders) fired two goals with other TW markers added by Parker Murn (Senior – Edgewood Crusaders); Hunter Bill (Junior – Notre Dame Academy Tritons); Colton Jamieson (Junior Cretin Durham Hall MN); Peyton Platter (Senior – Eau Claire Memorial Old Abes) and Aidan Lenz (Senior – Edgewood Crusaders).

Adam Prokop turned in another awesome performance in goal for TW, stopping 53 shots helping TW pick up the win despite a lopsided 57-33 edge in shots for the opposition.

Team Wisconsin 2 Twin Cities Orthopedics 1

After 13 goals in the first two games, TW engaged in a defensive battle later Saturday. The Orthopedics scored their lone goal in the first period, Tyler Dale (Senior – Waukesha Wings) tying it with his second period tally and Kade Smigaj (Junior – Stevens Point Panthers) sinking the game winner in the opening minute of the third.

Fixmer collected his second win of the weekend, beaten just once on 31 shots.

Twin Cities Orthopedics 10 Team Wisconsin 4

The final game of the weekend proved one too many for the Dairyland squad who fell behind 4-0 in the first period and trailed 6-0 before counting its first goal in the middle period.

Austin, Smigaj, Wiebusch and Lenz counted the Team Wisconsin goals.

With the weekend games, Team Wisconsin boosted its record in league play to 5-8-4 and its overall record to 9-9-4.

The team will head to New Hope, MN for its final three regular season games Saturday and Sunday with League playoffs getting underway the following weekend.

Team Wisconsin 18U in Elite League skid

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

Erik Peterson from the Sauk Prairie Eagles and his Team Wisconsin 18U temmates endured another tough weekend in Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League action this past weekend.

Returning to New Hope, MN, TW suffered a 4-3 loss in its first of three weekend games, against Team North Dakota, then battled first place MAP South Hockey to a 3-3 draw before falling once again 6-5 against Sanford Power.

Team Wisconsin 3 Team North Dakota 4

In its first meeting with the North Dakota squad, Team Wisconsin found itself trailing 3-1 after a period, but even at 3-3 halfway through the second.

A late middle period goal had North Dakota up again. TW rallied to tie it again with 9:42 to play but North Dakota pulled in front to stay with 6:04 to go.
Parker Murn (Senior – Edgewood Crusaders); Jon (JJ) Wiebusch (Senior – Edgewood Crusaders); Isaac Rentmeester (Senor – Notre Dame Tritons) and Cody Menzel (Senior – Edgewood Crusaders) scored the Team Wisconsin goals.

Team Wisconsin 3 MAP South Hockey 3

This should have been a momentum building tie, not just because it came against the league’s top team, but because Team Wisconsin battled back from a 3-0 deficit early in the second period.

The three TW goals came in a span of 6:03 before the halfway mark of the middle frame, scored by Rentmeester, Hunter Bill (Junior – Notre Dame Tritons) and Ian Engel (Senior — Neenah/Hortonville/Menasha Rockets)

Team Wisconsin 5 Sanford Power 6

A back and forth contest Sanford on the board first but TW up 2-1 early in the second period. Three straight had Sanford up 4-2 after two periods and they increased it to 5-2 in the middle part of the third period.

Two goals in 1:27 had TW within a shot of tying it, but Sanford notched another into an empty net with 58 seconds to play. TW got one more with two ticks on the clock.

Tyler Dale (Senior – Waukesha Wings) scored twice for Team Wisconsin, others added by Peterson; Max Giblin (Senior – Hudson Raiders) and Engel.

With the weekend results, Team Wisconsin is now winless in seven and its overall regular season record falls to 6-8-5. In Elite League play, the team has slipped to 2-7-4 and now in eighth place in the 10-team group.

There are seven games left in regular season play for the league for Team Wisconsin who will enjoy a weekend off coming up.

Peterson and TW run into some tough competition

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

Team Wisconsin 18U hockey team was the host team but sure didn’t have much of a home ice advantage this past weekend.

The team faced a couple of tough opponents in Upper Midwest High School Elite League play, battling the first place MAP South Hockey team to a 6-6 draw in its first game at Chippewa Falls Ice Arena on Friday night, but falling to the same opponent 4-1 on Saturday morning.

Next up was the Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep team who were simply too tough, handing TW a 4-1 loss Saturday and returning for a 4-2 decision on Sunday.

MAP South 6 Team Wisconsin 6

In the first game, Team Wisconsin appeared on its way to a big win, but three goals in the game’s final five minutes lifted the visiting MAP South team into a draw.

Team Wisconsin scored the game’s first three goals and never trailed in the contest.

Leading the offense was Aidan Lenz with two goals and Jon Wiebusch who set up three. Both will be seniors with the Edgewood Crusaders this fall.

Other TW goals came from Kade Smigaj (Junior – Stevens Point Panthers); Hunter Bill (Junior – Notre Dame Academy Tritons; Isaac Rentmeester (Senior – Notre Dame Academy Tritons) and Peyton Platter (Senior – Eau Claire Memorial Old Abes). Erik Peterson, a senior with the Sauk Prairie Eagles picked up an assist on the game’s third goal.

MAP South 4 Team Wisconsin 1

In the first game, Team Wisconsin appeared on its way to a big win, but three goals in the game’s final five minutes lifted the visiting MAP South team into a draw.

After leading most of the way in the first game, TW found itself down early in the rematch and never caught up. MAP carried a 3-0 lead out of the opening period and after a scoreless middle frame, both teams fired one in the third.

Josh Austin (Senior – St. Mary’s Springs Ledgers) scored the lone Team Wisconsin goal.

Shattuck St. Mary’s 5 Team Wisconsin 2

Team Wisconsin opened and closed the scoring in the opening period, but thanks to a pair of responses in between by the visitors, this game was tied at 2-2 heading to the second.

The game winner came near the halfway mark of the second and two more in the third clinched the win for Shattuck.

Wiebusch and Cody Menzel (Senior — Edgewood Crusaders) had the Team Wisconsin goals in this game.

Shattuck St. Mary’s 4 Team Wisconsin 2

The following day teams returned to a game that saw two goals in each period. Unfortunately, the first two and a 4-0 lead belonged to Shattuck with TW striking back for a pair in the third.

Smigaj and Platter fired the Team Wisconsin goals.

The rough weekend leaves Team Wisconsin with a 2-5-3 record in league play and a 6-6-3 record overall. As a result, the team has fallen to seventh place overall in the 10-team league.

Action resumes in New Hope, MN for TW this weekend beginning Saturday with the team’s first meeting against North Dakota (1-2-1), followed by another chance against MAP South (6-1-2) and then on Sunday, the first meeting with fourth place Sanford Power (5-3-2)

Thunderbirds to open at home Nov. 23

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The Baraboo Thunderbirds are looking to approach the .500 plateau this season for the first time since 2015-16 and will get its regular season started on Nov. 23.

The team’s first of 22 scheduled contests will take place at Pierce Park Pavilion against the visiting Blackhawks. The Thunderbirds will also play the Middleton Cardinals on home ice four days later before opening the Badger West season with a trip to RACA to face its biggest rival, the RWD Cheavers on Dec. 7.

The conference schedule is more front loaded this season than it normally is and the Thunderbirds will play four of it’s 10-confrence matches with its first test against the Edgewood Crusaders coming on home ice Dec. 11, followed by a third straight conference game, at SPARC against the Sauk Prairie Eagles Dec. 11.

The Thunderbirds will take part in a four-team tournament for a second straight year, hosted by the Arrowhead Warhawks, starting Dec. 29-30. The regular season is scheduled to wrap up on Feb. 10, 2022 at the Waupun Community Center against the Waupun Warriors

Below is a look at the Baraboo Thunderbirds varsity regular season schedule as printed on the school’s athletic website. Games and times are subject to change.

Note – As this is written, there are no return conference matches scheduled against Oregon or Edgewood, so there is likely two more conference games to be added.

Baraboo Thunderbirds 2021-22 Varsity Schedule

Confeence games in bold

Nov. 23 – 7 p.m. vs. Viroqua Blackhawks @ Pierce Park Pavilion

Nov. 27 – 7 p.m. vs. Middleton Cardinals @ Pierce Park Pavilion

Dec. 7 – vs. RWD Cheavers @ RACA

Dec. 11 – vs. Edgewood Crusaders @ Pierce Park Pavilion

Dec. 14 – vs. Sauk Prairie Eagles @ SPARC

Dec. 16 – vs. Janesville Bluebirds @ Janesville Ice Skating Center

Dec. 18 – vs. Monroe Cheesemakers @ Pierce Park Pavilion

Dec. 21 – vs. Onalaska Hilltoppers @ Onalaska Omni Center

Dec. 29-30 – Arrowhead Warhawks Quadrangular @

Jan. 4, 2022 – vs. Black River Falls Tigers @ Pierce Park Pavilion

Jan. 8 vs. Oregon Panthers @ Pierce Park Pavilion

Jan. 11 – vs. RWD Cheavers @ Pierce Park Pavilion

Jan. 13 – vs. McFarland Spartans @ McFarland Community Ice Center

Jan. 15 – BADGER CHALLENGE vs. Badger East opponent @ TBA

Jan. 25 – vs. Sauk Prairie Eagles @ Pierce Park Pavilion

Jan. 28 – vs. Mosinee Indians @ Pierce Park Pavilion

Feb. 1 – vs. Monroe Cheesemakers @ State Line Ice & Community Expo (SLICE)

Feb. 8 – vs. Aquinas/Holmen Avalanche @ Pierce Park Pavilion

Feb. 10 – vs. Waupun Warriors @ Waupun Community Center

RWD faces tough schedule in 2021-22

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The focus of high school sports is currently fall sports – football, cross country, boys’ soccer, girl’s golf and tennis, swimming, and volleyball.

We know several players from local teams are already taking part in before/after programs and varsity high school teams will be stepping on the ice in the next few days or weeks to begin captain’s practices, allowing students to begin preparing for their upcoming seasons.

For the RWD Cheavers, the actual season will begin Nov. 5 with a get together at Monk’s with practices getting underway three days later.

The annual pre-season scrimmages will take place at West Salem with both the host Panthers and DeForest Norskies taking part.

For the seventh time in nine seasons, the Cheavers will open the campaign against the Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln Red Raiders. The other two times the teams squared off in the second game of the campaign. This time around the game will be played at the South Wood County Recreation Center.

New this season will be a Thanksgiving Weekend tournament in Somerset and the other Holiday tournament, the annual Monk’s Cheeseburger Classic will return to its normal eight-team field with several new teams raising the caliber of the event.

The Somerset event will involve both the varsity and junior varsity teams with other teams from Eau Claire North, New Richmond and of course, the host Somerset teams taking part.

The RWD varsity team will open the event on Nov. 26 against the Eau Claire North Huskies immediately followed by the JV Cheavers against the New Richmond JV Tigers. Opponents and start times for the second day will depend on game results.

The Monk’s Battle for the Cheeseburger Classic will see familiar teams like Wisconsin Rapids, Tomah, McFarland, and Kenosha, but will also this season involve the Onalaska Hilltoppers, La Crescent Lancers and River Falls Wildcats.

Here is a look at the RWD Cheavers’ schedule as of Sept. 1. Games and start times are subject to change between now and the start of the season.

One different thing this season will be the Badger Conference Challenge which will pit teams from the Badger West against the Badger East. Opponents and start times will be determined based on standings at the time and the site is still to be determined as well. It will be played Jan. 15.

Badger West Conference games are in bold type.

November

23 — @ Wisconsin Rapids

26-27 — @ Somerset Spartans Holiday Tournament

30 — vs. Onalaska Hilltoppers

December

3 – vs. Edgewood Crusaders

7 – vs. Baraboo Thunderbirds

9 — @ Monroe Cheesemakers

11 – vs. Baldwin-Woodville Hawks

14 — @ Oregon Panthers

17 – vs. Sauk Prairie Eagles

21 — @ Tomah Timberwolves

28-30 MONK’S BATTLE FOR THE CHEESEBURGER CLASSIC

January 2022

4 — @ Waupaca Comets

6 or 8 — @ Edgewood Crusaders

11 — @ Baraboo Thunderbirds

15 — @ Badger Conference Challenge

20 – vs. Monroe Cheesemakers

25 – vs. Oregon Panthers

27-29 JV Tournament at Lake Delton Ice Arena (Hosted by DeForest)

February

1 – @ Sauk Prairie Eagles (JV @ Monroe)

4 — @ Hayward Hurricanes

5 — @ Ashland Oredockers

8 – vs. Janesville Bluebirds

Team Wisconsin splits pair in Chicago

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The U-18 Team Wisconsin squad, including forward Erik Peterson from the Sauk Prairie Eagles returned to Chicago for a second straight weekend and split a pair of contests with the Windy City Storm at Orbit Ice Arena in Palatine, Ill. this past weekend.

TW played the same Storm squad the previous weekend, taking a 5-2 decision in one of three straight wins.

This time around, the Storm came up with some better defensive efforts. The Wisconsin crew collected a 2-1 win in the first game before the Storm put up a 3-0 shutout to hand TW its first defeat of the season.

In the opener both teams scored in the opening period setting the stage for Tyler Dale (Waukesha Wings) who fired the game winner in the second.

Cody Menzel (Edgewood Crusaders) fired the other TW goal and Adam Prokop (Wausau West Warriors) stopped all but one of the 16 shots he saw in goal.

In the second game, Ryan Diaz in goal for the Storm was unbeaten on 34 shots as the host Storm finally found a way past TW.

Bridger Fixmer (Chippewa Falls Cardinals) was beaten once in each of the first two periods, the final goal slid into an empty TW cage.

The 4-1 Wisconsin crew will get Labor Day weekend off, heading west this time with its first of two consecutive three game weekends in New Hope, Minn., kicking off play in the Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League.

Team Wisconsin U-18s off to hot start

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

Team Wisconsin U18’s opened its season this past weekend, sweeping three games on a Chicago area road trip winning three games in three different arenas.

Included on Team Wisconsin is Sauk Prairie Eagles senior forward Erik Peterson as well as defenseman Hakon Peterson, although Hakon did not play this past weekend.

TW started out the weekend with a 4-1-win Friday (Aug. 20) at Canlan Rink 2 in Romeoville against the Chicago Fury, then brushed the Windy City Storm aside Saturday at the Seven Bridges Rinks by a 5-2 margin. Wrapping up the weekend, TW moved by the Minnesota Blizzard 7-3 at the Arctic Ice Arena in Orland Park.

In the first game, Team Wisconsin grabbed a 4-0 lead through the first two periods with goals from Cody Menzel (Sr., Edgewood); Callan Budinger (Notre Dame Sr.); Bryce Strand (Bay Port Sr.) and Hunter Bill (Notre Dame Jr.) while Adam Prokop (Wausau West Sr.) carried a shutout into the final period and stopped 19 of 20 shots faced in goal.

Against the Storm, TW rallied back from a 2-0 first period deficit with five straight unanswered goals, three in the middle period and two more down the stretch.

Tyler Dale (Waukesha Sr.) opened the scoring with a shorthanded marker and added the game winner later in the second period. Dayne Deanovich (St. Mary’s Springs Sr.) added a goal and two assists, Josh Austin (St. Mary’s Springs Jr.) adding a goal and assist, and the other goal fired by Kade Smigaj (Stevens Point Jr.).

Bridger Fixmer (Chippewa Falls Sr.) kicked out 12 of 14 to pick up the win in goal

In the final game, Blizzard scored first 6:06 into the contest, TW tying it 50 seconds later and piling on another half dozen before surrendering the final two meaningless goals in the third.

Austin and Menzel paced the attack with two goals apiece, Smigaj adding a goal and assist with other goals for Deanovich and Peyton Platter (Eau Claire Memorial Sr.).

Fixmer and Prokop shared the work in goal, combining to handle 55 of 58 Blizzards shots.

Peterson didn’t collect a point on the weekend but played a role in the team’s season opening sweep. He and the team will be back in action with two more against the Windy City Storm, this time at the Orbit Ice Arena in Palatine, Ill.

Eagles brush aside Spartans, Red Hawks

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

If losing a two-time state scoring champion and one of the top goaltenders among nine graduating seniors was supposed to have a detrimental effect on the Sauk Prairie Eagles varsity hockey team, someone must have forgot to tell this season’s team.

Two more lopsided wins wrapped up a near perfect season for the Eagles who enter the post season with at least as much promise as a year ago.

The final week included an 8-3 win against the McFarland Spartans and a 6-0 shutout against the Milton Red Hawks, both on home ice at the Sauk Prairie Area Recreation Center (SPARC).

McFarland Spartans 3 @ Sauk Prairie Eagles 8

In the past, Eagles have jumped on teams quick, often grabbing control of games with opening shift goals.

Last Monday (January 25), the Eagles showed it can comeback if needed. A hot goaltender played a big part in the Eagles looking up at a 2-0 deficit on home ice despite outshooting its guest by a 17-3 margin.

The Eagles though, found a higher gear in the middle period, scoring three unanswered goals on 23 more shots, then blasted off with a 5-1 edge and another 25 shots down the stretch.

Junior Luke Mast paced the squad with a three-goal game, juniors Erik Peterson and Landon Clary adding two each and the other the first career varsity goal for freshman Samson Begalske.

Junior Hakon Peterson enjoyed a huge playmaking game, collecting five assists with juniors Nick Mast and Erik Peterson along with sophomore Ethan Tranel setting up two each. Senior Caeben Schomber also picked up a helper.

Kaden Stracke picked up the win in goal and his opposition keeper, Ray Wheaton faced 65 shots on the night.

Milton Red Hawks 0 @ Sauk Prairie Eagles 6

The finale was billed as ‘Senior Night’ and the four graduating players played their part – Brodie Trollop scored the game winning goal and set up another while Caeben Schomber, Spencer LaCour and Sam Severson each collected an assist in the contest.

Junior Nick Mast enjoyed a two-goal, four-point night to wrap up the season with 30 points in 13 games, Luke Mast adding an assist for a team high 33 points on the season.

Hakon Peterson also scored twice with the other added by Clary. Junior Micah Hanson, Luke Mast and Erik Peterson also picked up assists.

Sophomore keepers Stracke and Brooks McInerney, split the work on a shared shutout bid and the Eagles outshot the Redbirds 43-12.

Overall 12-1

The Eagles lost just one contest this season, a brief 3-2 stumble against Beaver Dam the lone blemish on an otherwise perfect campaign. It can be called a stumble because in a previous meeting, the Eagles bounced the same Golden Beavers by a 6-1 score.

The Eagles were seeded third in the 13-team Section 3 pool and along with top two seeds – Madison Edgewood Crusaders and Verona Wildcats, the Eagles drew a bye through the opening round of the post season.

RWD Cheavers and Middleton Cardinals are playing tonight (February 2) for the right to challenge Sauk Prairie on Thursday night in the Sectional Quarterfinals.