Area players play role in Blue Devils’ spring season

By Jim den Hollander
Editor/Publisher
Saukhockey.info
A large number of RWD hockey players have avoided a lull in their schedule by trying out for and making the Western Wisconsin Blue Devils Summer Hockey teams.

Most of the teams attended three tournaments, wrapping up this past weekend.
Details on the events were limited, but following is a list of teams that included local players and the details this reporter was able to garner.

’08 Blue Devils

The ’08 Blue Devils began its three-tournament season at the Border Battle Tournament with RJ Manley, a fixture with the Tomah-based squad for several seasons included in the lineup along with Thomas Sarnow.

Manley, an incoming RWD freshman and his teammates started out with an impressive 8-1 win against Blaze (Gold) at Somerset Ice Arena April 22, then returned the following day battling Breakaway to a 1-1 draw in Forest Lake and moving back to the win column with a 5-2 decision against Ice Edge in Woodbury, MN.

The Blue Devils wrapped up top spot in its six-team group with another 5-2 margin on April 24 against the St. Croix Muskies, played in Forest Lake.

At the Shock Doctor Tournament played in the Twin Cities area, the Blue Devils played in the six-team ’08 Upper draw, beginning April 29 with a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Lake Superior Pirates at Brooklyn Park.

The following day, the North Metro Stars doubled the Blue Devils 4-2 but the Devils stormed back with an 8-2 win against FCA Hockey (Blue), both games played in Maple Grove.

In the first of two games Sunday, the Blue Devils were shutout 4-0 by Hockey Haven and they wrapped up a busy weekend, settling for fourth place after a 5-2 loss against the Madison Capitols in the third-place contest.

The team wrapped up the compact season playing this past weekend in the Mountain Dew Blast Tournament, also in the Twin Cities area. No details from that event were available at the time of printing this article.

’09 Blue Devils

A group of players from the Regional Champion RWD Peewee ‘A’ Cheavers stayed united on this team. Tyler Krieski and Ethan Pope both made the trip with the team to the Border Battle Tournament in Hudson.
Playing at the AAA level is a giant step for players generally playing in smaller centers and the tournament was primarily a learning experience.
After dropping a 10-3 decision against the Eskimos in the first game, April 22, the Devils played twice the following day, doubling the Minnesota Magicians 8-4 before falling 7-3 against Tommy Chicago later the same day.
The Blue Devils returned to play Tommy Chicago again Sunday falling 8-3.
Scoring details were unavailable.
Krieski and Pope were joined by Ethan Wilcox and Hailey Dietl a few weeks later at the Shock Doctor Shootout played at several rinks in the Twin Cities area as well as the final tournament.
The caliber was tough again in the State of Hockey, the Blue Devils opening April 29 with a tough 3-1 loss against All Out Hockey and returning the following day for a 5-2 loss against Hockey Factory from Fond du Lac, eventual championships in their 12-team division and a 2-2 draw against Arvada 2009. On Sunday, the team played in the 9th place match but settled for 10th following a 5-1 win against the same Arvada team.
The team turned in its best effort at the end, settling for fourth place at the Mountain Dew Blast played at the National Sports Center Super Rinks in Blaine, MN, along with a few others. No game or roster details were available from this event played this past weekend but the ’09 team wrapped up fourth place.

’10 Blue Devils

This team that also included a trio of members from the Peewee ‘A’ Cheavers attended the same events as their ’09 teammates — Landen Uminski, Noah Backeberg and Jesse Arnold. Also, from the Sauk Prairie Flyers, Logan Harrington played in all three events while Michael Jolicoeur and Braden Slough joined for the final two.
At the Border Battle Tournament, the ’10 Devils played its first two games in St. Croix, falling 4-1 in its opening contest against MPH Gold before bouncing pack with a 3-2 win against Blaze (Gold) later on Friday April 22.
The Blue Devils stepped across the border to Woodbury and collected a 9-3 win against the Rivertown Muskies (Green) Saturday.
On Sunday, the Devils wrapped up in Hudson, dropping a 4-0 shutout against the Eskimos.
Scoring details were unavailable.
At the Shock Doctor tournament, the local players joined the Blue Devils in the 10-team ’10-Lower’ Division.
The team again continued its summer arena tour appearing in two more, beginning with a 4-1 loss against the Wisconsin Jr. Jets in Maple Grove, MN.
The remaining games were played at Pagel Rink in Minnetonka, MN. The Devils clearly found it to be like home, collecting a 6-5 win against Arvada 2010 Saturday morning and a 4-1 decision against Rivertown Muskies (Blue) later the same day.
An 8-2 win Sunday morning against Hockey Factory Lake Country advanced the Blue Devils into the Consolation Championship game and the locals stayed hot with its fourth straight win at Pagel, 7-4 against the MN Lakers (White).
The Blue Devils wrapped up its short Spring/Summer season with a spot at the Mountain Dew Blast this past weekend where the ’10 Blue Devils wrapped up its season with a tournament championship.

U-14 Girls Blue Devils

This division included four locals — Kayla Garbacz and Reese Olson who played as freshmen on the Badger Lightning varsity hockey team this past season along with Paige Othmer and Ryleigh Bychinski who reached the U-14 State Championship match with Tomah’s TNT Squad and will join the Lightning in the late fall.
This team first played at the Border Battle Tournament, opening play in Baldwin, WI with a 5-2 loss against the St. Croix Selects Friday April 22, before bouncing back the same day at Woodbury, MN with a 2-0 shutout against Ice Cougar East.
The following day, back in Baldwin, the U-14’s played Hometown Hockey to a 2-2 draw before wrapping it up in Baldwin with a 6-0 win against MPH Gold.
On May 6 the Devils travelled to the Twin Cities to compete in the Spring Stampede, opening with a 3-0 shutout against Minnesota Hook at the Buffalo Civic Center and following it up with another goose egg, 6-0 against the South DC Tigers at the Super Rinks in Blaine.
The Blue Devils moved on to a 4-4 draw in its third game (opponent unclear) at Blaine’s Fogerty Ice Arena, then moved on to Elk River Ice Arena to pick up a 5-2 win against Stampede Green.
That moved the Devils into the tournament championship game where they came up just short 3-1 against Northern Elite White.
The 14U squad finished it’s summer schedule with a spot at the Midwest Invite Tournament in Appleton May 13-15.
In its opening match, the Blue Devils dropped a 3-1 decision against the Green Bay Hornets. Garbacz scored the lone Blue Devils’ marker in the second period.
The following day Olson fired a pair and set up another with another goal from Bychinski as the Blue Devils got by the Milwaukee Tuskers 5-1. Later Saturday Hockey Factory Madison handed the locals a 2-0 loss.
On Sunday, Othmer led the way with a goal and assist, Olson adding another goal and Garbacz setting up one in a 4-0 shutout against the Fox Cities Bulldogs, wrapping up third place for the Devils.

U-12 Girls Blue Devils

The U-12 Blue Devils, including Hailey Dietl wrapped up a solid spring season with the championship banner at the Midwest Invite Tournament in the Madison area.

Hailey Dietl did double duty playing for the U12 Girls Blue Devils as well as the ’09 squad.
The team played three events as well, beginning with the Ignite the Ice/Trailblazer Tournament April 8-10 in the Twin Cities.
Starting out with a 4-3 edge against the Red River Flames (Red) team on Friday night, they found the Red River Flames (Black) tougher on Saturday morning, falling 4-1. Later on Saturday, the Blue Devils responded with a 7-0 shutout win against Hometown Blue.
On Sunday, the second seeded Blue Devils collected a 4-1 win agianst Red River Flames which moved them into the tournament championship where they ran into Red River Flames (Black) again, settling for runners up 6-1.
Next up was Spring Stampede, May 6-8 also at the Elk River Ice Arena.
The Blue Devils opened with an 8-1 win against the Majors and also blew by Blue Army Red 8-0, then played the Railhawks to a 5-5 draw.
A 9-1 win in semis against the Majors sent the Blue Devils to a rematch with the Railhawks in the Championship game, but it was the Railhawks hoisting the hardware with a 1-0 win.
Wrapping up the season, the Blue Devils played in the U-12 Midwest-Invite in the Madison area, wrapping up the season in style with five straight wins and a championship trophy.
In the first game, the Devils downed Hockey Factory, Fond du Lac 7-1 on Friday at McFarland Community Ice Arena.
On Saturday, the Devils earned a 3-2 edge against Milwaukee Tuskers at Verona’s Eagles Nest, then returned to McFarland for a massive 13-0 shutout against Them Girls.
A 9-2 win in McFarland against the Hornets send the Devils to the championship game where it was joined by Dietl who played for the ’09 team in Minnesota on the same weekend.
Dietl scored twice and set up the other, leading the Devils to a 3-0 win in the championship game against the Tuskers. Brooke Lakowske was on the receiving end of the pass from Dietl for her goal and returned the favor with assists on both Dietl markers.

’11 Blue Devils

Rainier Scott, a member of the RWD Squirts played for the ’11 Blue Devils who attended the same three events as the older Blue Devils’ teams, beginning with the Border Battle April 22-24.
The competitition was tough for the ’11 Blue Devils who dropped four games. The first three, an 8-1 loss against the Guardians (Gray), 6-1 against the Blaze (Gold) and 8-1 against the OP Predators were played Friday and Saturday at St. Croix Rec Center and the final game, a 6-3 doubling by the MN Magicians was played in Hudson.
At the Shock Doctor event April 29-May 1, the Blue Devils played in the 10-team U-11 Lower Division.
After opening with a 4-3 win against the Wisconsin Titans at the Pagel Rink in Minnetonka Friday, the team moved to Eden Prairie Saturday, dropping an 8-1 decision against the Majors and settling for a 5-5 draw against MN Steel.
On Sunday, the U11’s wrapped up the weekend, dropping a 7-4 decision to the Wildcats, also at Eden Prairie.
Like the others, the U-11 Blue Devils finished the schedule at the Mountain Dew Blast which currently has no details available.

’12 Blue Devils

Briar Messer, another member of the RWD Squirt ‘A’ squad played for the ‘U12 Blue Devils which opened its season at the Border Battle event April 22-24 as well.
The Devils started on the Friday in Somerset dropping a 3-1 decision against the Guardians (Gray), then headed to Woodbury on the Minnesota side of the border, battling the Ice Hawks to a 3-3 draw Saturday morning.
Back in Somerset later Saturday, the Devils collected an 8-1 win against Lake’s Elite and they wrapped up play Sunday with a 6-3 doubling of Blaze (Gold).
At the end of April at the Shock Doctor tournament, the ’12 Blue Devils played all games at Shakopee Rink, starting out with a 7-0 win Friday against. the Daggers.
On Saturday, Devils collected an 8-1 win against the B-E Bombers (Red) but suffrered a 5-1 loss later in the day against the Fox City Bulldogs.
On Sunday, the Devils suffered a 9-1 loss against the AAA Velocity who later claimed the division championship while the Blue Devils moved on to down the Wisconsin Jets 5-1 and wrap up third place.
Like many of the other Blue Devils teams, the ’12 squad finished at the Mountain Dew Blast this past weekend, wrapping up the spring schedule with a third place showing.

’13-14 Blue Devils

Jase Uminski, Owen Meyer and Bentley Meyer played a part for the ’13-14 Blue Devils who attended the same three events as the other Blue Devils teams.
At the Border Battle, April 22-24, the ’13 Blue Devils won four straight games, beginning Friday with a 7-6 edge against the Blaze (Gold) squad in Hastings, MN.
On Saturday, the Devils pounded PH Grit 10-3 and downed the Guardians (Gray) 5-2, both games played in St. Croix.
The team wrapped up top spot with a rematch and a 9-3 win against Blaze (Gold).
Blue Devils were one of 16 teams at the Shock Doctor Shoot Out and got the tournament off to a great start with a 7-0 win against the WI Jr. Jets at Eden Prairie Friday followed by a 6-3 decision against Ice Edge (Blue) Saturday at the same rink.
Later Saturday, the Blue Devils dropped an 8-1 decision against the MN Lakers at Braemar Arena in Edina.
Those results put the team into a 7th place battle against the same Guardians (Gray) team it played a few weeks earlier. The Devils clinched the spot with a 5-3 edge.
Last weekend, the ’13 Blue Devils finished the schedule at the Mountain Dew Blast, reaching the championship game.

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The RWD Peewee A Cheavers, closing in on their trip to the WAHA Peewee 3A State Championship tournament in Somerset March 12-13 got another tournament test this past weekend.

Looking to add to hardware collected as champions at the Ultimate Tournaments Dairyland Classic in all the local rinks the previous weekend, the Cheavers won two of three at a tournament in Green Bay last weekend (Feb. 26-27).

After opening the event with a 6-2 win against the Ozaukee Ice Dogs Saturday morning at Cornerstone Community Center, the Cheavers hit the ice again Saturday afternoon, falling by the same 6-2 margin against eventual tournament champion Escanaba (Michigan) Hawks.

The loss Saturday afternoon snapped a six-game unbeaten string for the Cheavers, and they went right back to work starting a new streak Sunday with a 4-0 win against the Iron Kings, another Michigan-based squad.

Cheavers 6 Ice Dogs 2

In the first game, the Cheavers carried a 2-0 lead out of the person and had the game in hand with a 6-1 cushion heading to the third.

Landen Uminski paced the offense with a three-goal game, Ethan Wilcox scoring twice and setting up another and Tyler Krieski scoring the other, along with two assists.

Evelyn Gurney and Andrew Stando picked up assists as well and Jesse Arnold picked up the win in goal with nine saves.

Blake Atchison kicked out 23 shots for the Ice Dogs.

Cheavers 2 Hawks 6

The Cheavers gained some consolation in the knowledge they played the Hawks closer than any other team as the Hawks collected their second win of the week and claimed the title with a 12-4 margin against the host Green Bay squad.

Hawks were up 4-0 after a period and 5-1 after the middle frame, both teams adding one more in the third.

Hailey Dietl fired the first RWD goal, unassisted and the other game from Uminski with a feed from Wilcox.

Arnold kicked out 19 shots in the contest while Bryce Bichlor stopped six to pick up the win for the Hawks.

Cheavers 4 Iron Kings 0

The Cheavers shrugged off the loss to the Hawks and went back to work Sunday, collecting the 4-0 shutout against the Iron Kings.

The game winner came in the first period and the other three goals all game in the middle period.

Krieski and Uminski scored two goals each, Krieski adding an assist. Other assists were credited to Dayne Wagner, Noah Backeberg and Ethan Pope.

Arnold picked up his third shutout of the season and second in the past two weeks with eight saves, Aubree Moore stopping 16 for the Kings.

The 2-1 win boosted the Cheavers’ overall record to 27-17-2 and the team is an impressive 6-3-1 in its past 10 games.

The Cheavers were ranked fourth at the tournament based on some points system used for the event.

The final chance to catch the Cheavers on home ice will be this weekend as they get some tough tests on home ice at Reedsburg Area Community Arena Saturday, playing the Sun Prairie ‘A’ peewees Saturday (March 5) at 10:45 a.m. then return for a 4:45 ‘B’ test against the Waunakee ‘B’ Wildcats at 4:45 p.m.

On Sunday, the Cheavers will play the Tomah ‘A’ peewees at 9:15 a.m.

Arnold stops 31 to lead Cheavers past Eagles

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

After qualifying to reach the championship game with a 10-3 win the previous day against the Monroe Avalanche, the RWD Peewee ‘A’ Cheavers punched its ticket to the WAHA Peewee 3A State Championship tournament with a 3-1 win against the host Sauk Prairie ‘A’ Flyers at SPARC on Sunday (Feb. 6) afternoon.

Cheavers 10 Avalanche 3

The three-team regional pool had a semi-final Saturday at McFarland, the Cheavers advancing with the lopsided win.

The game was all but over after the opening 15-minute period as the Cheavers held a 7-1 edge. A 2-1 margin through the second had them up 9-2 and both teams added one in the final frame.

Ethan Wilcox led the way for the locals, firing four goals and adding an assist, Landen Uminski scoring a hat trick and an assist while Tyler Krieski notched two goals and set up another. The other Cheavers’ goal came from Evelyn Gurney with single assists for Teaghen Geffert and Noah Backeberg.

Jesse Arnold collected another win in goal with 13 saves and the Cheavers held a 39-16 edge on the shot clock.

Cheavers 3 @ Flyers 1

The win advanced the Cheavers to an all-Sauk County championship game at SPARC Sunday and Arnold came up huge in that one, kicking out all but one of the 32 shots he faced, including 14 down the stretch from a desperate Flyers’ team that threw everything it had at the Cheavers goal.

After a scoreless first period, all four goals came in the middle stanza, Michael Jolicoeur opening the scoring in the fifth minute for the Flyers with an unassisted goal.

Uminski evened the score, from Wilcox a short time later and it was Geffert burying the game and regional championship winner with 6:50 to play with assists for Uminski and Wilcox.

Kreski’s unassisted goal 100 seconds later added some insurance but this one had a long way to go to reach the finish line.

The peewee Cheavers will advance to the WAHA Peewee 3A State Championship tournament March 12-13 at Somerset. The entire field was filled on Sunday and the first game for the Cheavers at 11 a.m. March 12 will be against region 1 champions – Amery Warriors. More details on the tournament will appear in the days leading up to the opening game.

Members of the Peewee ‘A’ Cheavers celebrated its WAHA Region 4 Championship and berth in the WAHA State 3A Peewee Championship tournament. Pictured from right to left are: Evelyn Gurney, Dayne Wagner, Ethan Wilcox, Jesse Arnold, Noah Backeberg, Landen Uminski, Hailey Dietl, Teaghen Geffert, Tyler Krieski, Ethan Pope. *PHOTO CONTRIBUTED.*

Wagner’s nine point day paces Peewee Cheavers

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The RWD Peewee ‘A’ Cheavers stayed hot, rebounding from its first loss in seven games the previous weekend with 16 goals in two wins on a Mississippi Valley swing Sunday.

After collecting a 9-4 win against the La Crosse Flames at Green Island Ice Arena, the Cheavers stopped at the Panther Den in West Salem on the way home, collecting a 7-2 win against the West Salem Panthers.

Cheavers 9 @ Flames 4

Six third period goals turned a close game into a cakewalk for the Cheavers who led 1-0 after a period and 3-2 heading to the final period.

Tyler Krieski scored the first two for the Cheavers and ended the game with three goals and an assist. Dayne Wagner and Andrew Stando both scored twice, Wagner assisting on one and Stando setting up a pair. Ethan Wilcox and Teaghen Geffert both collected a goal and assist, and Ethan Pope also had a helper.

Jesse Arnold stopped 17 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Cheavers.

Cheavers 7 @ Panthers 2

Wilcox donned the pads for the second game and kicked out 10 of 12 to pick up the win in goal.

The Cheavers helped him out jumping into a 4-1 first period lead and extending the margin to 5-2 in the middle frame.

Wagner, Landen Uminski and Geffert each fired a pair in the game, Wagner adding three assists to wrap up a nine-point road trip. Krieski scored the other and picked up an assist.

The Peewee ‘A’ Cheavers have gotten hot at the right time, picking up wins in eight of 10 since putting up the 2022 Calendar. Overall, the team sits at 18-11-2. After a couple weeks on the road the team returns home for a busy weekend as it goes through final preparations before Regionals the following weekend.

The team will play a rare game at the Lake Delton Ice Arena playing the Waunakee ‘B’ Wildcats at 9:30 to start a three-game day. The other two games, at 2 and 5 p.m. will be against the La Crosse Flames at Reedsburg Arena Community Arena (RACA).

Sunday the Cheavers will play two more at RACA against at 10:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. against the Madison Patriots.

Peewee ‘A’ Cheavers reach final at Spooner tourney

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The RWD Peewee Cheavers took its act on the road to the Northern Shootout tournament in Spooner last weekend (Jan. 15-16) collecting a pair of wins to reach the championship game and extend its longest streak of the season before running into a Minnesota powerhouse.

A 7-0 shutout against the Dodgeville Ice Wolves and a 4-2 doubling of the Ashland Youth Hockey Program advanced the Cheavers to the championship game where it ran into a Cottage Grove, MN team playing below its level. As a result, the locals saw its streak end by an 8-0 margin.

Ice Wolves 0 @ Cheavers 7

The Cheavers took care of things quick in the opening game on Friday with five unanswered first period goals, four of them scored in a span of 3:06 in the middle part of the period.

Meanwhile, goaltender Jesse Arnold stopped all 13 shots he faced to collect the shutout win in goal.

Tyler Krieski paced the Cheavers’ offense with a three-goal game, Landon Uminski adding two goals and two assists. Dayne Wagner and Evelyn Gurney fired the other RWD goals while Ethan Wilcox and Noah Backeberg picked up assists.

Ashland Youth Hockey 2 @ Cheavers 4

The Cheavers were home team again for the second game and made it work thanks to a pair of unanswered middle period goals. Both teams fired once in the first and final periods.

This time it was Uminski with the hat trick, the final three after Krieski notched the first period marker. Wagner and Wilcox collected assists and Arnold kicked out 11 of 13 to pick up the win in goal.

Cheavers 0 @ Cottage Grove Wolfpack 8

The Cheavers were unfortunately no match for the Wolfpack who were playing in a division below their level. Arnold was the busiest player in the game with 50 stops despite the lopsided score.

The loss ended a six-game winning streak for the locals who will stay on the road Saturday with games at Green Island Ice Arena in La Crosse and the Panther Den in West Salem Sunday.

RWD Peewee ‘A’ Cheavers won two of three and wrapped up the Finalists trophy at the Northern Shootout in Spooner this past weekend. Team members (in no specific order) include Hailey Dietl; Tyler Krieski; Landen Uminski; Ethan Wilcox; Dayne Wagner; Teaghen Geffert; Noah Backeberg; Evelyn Gurney; Andrew Stando; Jesse Arnold and Ethan Pope.

Uminski’s 21 points leads Cheavers to four-win weekend

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The RWD peewee ‘A’ Cheavers wrapped up its most successful weekend of the season so far with four wins, all on home ice at Reedsburg Area Community Arena (RACA).

The Cheavers had double win days, picking up 6-2 and 7-4 victories against the visiting Madison Patriots on Saturday and matching it with 11-6 and 10-6 wins against the Black River Falls Tigers on Sunday.

Several players enjoyed huge offensive weekends – that happens when a team scores 34 times — including Landen Uminski with 21 points, Ethan Wilcox with 11 and Tyler Krieski with nine.

Patriots 2 @ Cheavers 6

The Cheavers set the tone in the first game Saturday, turning a 1-0 lead after a period into a 5-1 cushion in the second.

Dayne Wagner set the pace with a hat trick, Wilcox scoring twice and Noah Backeberg adding the other. Uminski set up three, Evelyn Gurney adding two assists and Hailey Dietl helping out on one.

In goal for his first of four weekend games, Jesse Arnold stopped 15 of 17 shots to pick up the win.

Owen Hadden fired both goals for the Patriots.

Patriots 4 @ Cheavers 7

In the rematch, the Cheavers carried a 2-1 lead into the second period and both teams fired a pair in the second before the hosts put it away with a 3-1 margin down the stretch.

Uminski, Dietl and Wilcox fired two goals apiece for the Cheavers, Uminski adding two assists and Wilcox one. Tyler Krieski fired the other Cheavers’ goal and Andrew Stando also picked up an assist.

Arnold stopped another 16 shots for his second win of the day.

Hadden fired a hat trick for the Patriots, the other goal scored by Dillon Reynolds.

Tigers 6 @ Cheavers 11

Uminski scored five and set up another pair while Krieski fired a hat trick, Wilcox adding two goals and a setup. Wagner had the other goal, Ethan Pope and Dietl adding assists.

Brooke Lakoske scored five for the Tigers, McKenzie Apicella adding the other.

RWD outshot its guest 34-25.

Period breakdowns were not available from the first match.

Tigers 6 @ Cheavers 10

The Tigers stayed with the Cheavers for two periods, even at 2-2 after 15 minutes and the Cheavers up 5-4 heading to the third. A 5-2 margin in the final period made it an easy win for the hosts.

Uminski wrapped up a 14-point day with three goals and four assists, Krieski notching his second hat trick of the day along with two assists and Wilcox also scored three. Teaghan Geffert notched the other Cheavers’ goal. Wagner and Backeberg picked up assists.

Lakoske fired another four Tigers’ goals with others added by Jordyn King and Andrew Gunderson.

The hot streak comes just in time for a tournament test as the peewees head to Spooner for three games beginning Friday. A win in the first game would be a fifth straight, matching the team’s longest winning streak from Nov. 13-28 2021.

Peewee Cheavers win two of three weekend tests

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The RWD Peewee ‘A’ Cheavers started a busy weekend taking a 10-0 knock from the Verona ‘A’ Peewees Saturday (Dec. 4) morning, but things improved the rest of the way.

On the way home, the Cheavers stopped at Hartmeyer Ice Arena in Madison Saturday afternoon and bested the Patriots 3-1.

On Sunday, the Cheavers played on home ice at RACA, collecting a 10-1 win against the Monroe Avalanche.

In the opener at Verona, goaltender Jesse Arnold was the busiest player in the game, facing 50 Verona Wildcats shots and turning away 40. The home team carried a 3-0 lead out of the opening period and widened it to 7-0 heading to the third.

At Hartmeyer, the Cheavers hit the scoreboard first, Ethan Wilcox hitting the mesh after taking a feed from Landen Uminski, but a last-minute goal had the host Patriots even by the end of the first period.

Tyler Krieski buried the game winner unassisted and Dayne Wagner added insurance with help from Wilcox later in the middle period.

Arnold made it stand up, stopping all but one of the 28 shots he faced and helping the Cheavers to the win despite being outshot 28-23.

The following day against the Avs, the local peewee squad picked up a big win against a regional opponent, carrying a 3-0 lead out of the opening period and building it to 8-1 in the second before wrapping up with two more unanswered in the final frame.

Krieski, Evelyn Gurney and Noah Backeberg scored twice each for RWD and Krieski also added a pair of assists. Andrew Stando, Wilcox and Teaghan Geffert each added a goal and assist, and Uminski set up a pair. Wagner fired the other RWD goal and Ethan Pope collected an assist. The Cheavers held a 35-9 edge in shots in the contest.

The loss on Saturday stopped a five-game Cheavers’ winning streak, but the team has now won seven of its last eight and heads into play this weekend sporting a 7-6-1 record.

On Saturday, the peewee Cheavers will play the Middleton ‘A’ Cardinals peewees at 5:15 p.m. at RACA, returning Sunday at 8:30 a.m. to play the Oregon ‘A’ Panthers peewees. Wrapping up the weekend, the locals will move to Lake Delton Ice Arena to play Waunakee Wildcats at 2 p.m.

Peewee Cheavers overcome rough start

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The RWD Peewee ‘A’ Cheavers entered the 2021-22 Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association (WAHA) campaign through a gauntlet of tough opponents.

As a result, the team took its share of lumps with five losses and a tie through its first six contests. But a key win against the regional rival has turned things around.

The Cheavers avenged a 4-2 loss on home ice against the Sauk Prairie Flyers on Nov. 6 with a 2-1 edge against the same team at Sauk Prairie Area Recreation Center (SPARC) a week later and a pair of lopsided wins Nov. 14 has the peewee squad riding a three-game winning streak.

The games against the Flyers have appeared on Saukhockey.info earlier. Following is a quick wrap on the other seven games in the order they were played.

Verona Wildcats 8, 5 @ RWD Cheavers 1, 1

The Cheavers opened the regular season on Halloween weekend with a pair of games against the ‘A’ Wildcats.

After dropping an 8-1 decision early on Oct. 30, the same two teams returned to the ice later the same day and while the Wildcats won again, the Cheavers trimmed the margin a bit.

Dayne Wagner scored the lone goal in both games, gaining satisfaction of shattering the shutout bid of Brooke Terrien just 67 seconds from the final buzzer in the opener.

Andrew Stando collected an assist in the second game and Jesse Arnold picked up 20 saves in goal in both contests.

McFarland Spartans 1 RWD Cheavers 1

On Halloween Sunday, the Cheavers engaged in a tight defensive battle with the visiting Spartans.

Ian Boresh fired the only shot of 23 to get by Arnold in the second period but Landen Uminski pulled it back for RWD in the third with an unassisted goal.

RWD Cheavers 2, 0 Dubuque Fighting Saints 10, 10

The Fighting Saints feasted on the Cheavers on Nov. 7, taking a 10-2 win the first game at Mystique Ice Arena and following it up with a 10-0 shutout.

RWD carried a 2-1 lead out of the opening period in the first game and were even at 2-2 with a period to play before the home side exploded for eight third period markers.

Tyler Krieski scored both RWD goals, Uminski collecting an assist on the first one.

RWD Cheavers 7, 9 @ Black River Falls Tigers 4, 3

Following its win at Sauk Prairie, the Cheavers made the trip to Black River Falls on Nov. 14, taking a pair with a 7-4 win in the opener and 9-3 in the getaway game.

RWD was up 4-1 after a period in the first game, and 6-3 heading to the third, both teams adding one more down the stretch.

Uminski paced the squad with three goals and an assist, Ethan Wilcox adding a goal and a helper and other goals for Dietl, Stando and Krieski. Arnold collected the win with 18 saves.

The second game saw the Cheavers open with a four-goal first again, this time carrying a 4-0 cushion to the second and up 7-1 heading to the final frame.

Uminski wrapped up a seven goal, eight-point day with four goals, Ethan Pope adding two goals and a helper. Wagner notched a goal and assist with other goals for Krieski and Wilcox. Teaghan Geffert set up one of the goals and Arnold added another win with 24 saves.

The 3-5-1 Cheavers enjoyed a rare weekend off this past weekend and will look to build on its winning streak hosting the Viroqua Blackhawks for a pair of games Sunday at 1:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.

Cheavers bounce back for State Consolation

The RWD Peewee A hockey team was the lone representative from the organization to reach the State Championships and they returned home with a Consolation Championship trophy from the Sauk Prairie-based event on Sunday.

RWD qualified for the State tournament with a 7-1 win at Regionals but face one of its toughest opponents on the season in its first contest, pushed to the Consolation side with a 5-1 loss against the Tomah/Sparta Titans.

However, the locals bounced back with a pair of lopsided wins, reaching the Consolation final with an 8-2 whipping of the Amery Warriors, then collected the Consolation plaque with a 7-0 shutout against Waupun Warriors.

Cheavers 1 Titans 5

Having lost a lopsided contest to the Titans earlier this season, Head Coach Joe Uminski and his squad knew the opener would be a tough contest and that served to take a little pressure off the team.

They certainly weren’t going to just hand over a win, but they were playing as underdogs.

“We had nothing to lose,” said Uminski in an email interview. “Tomah is one of the best teams in the state. It’s basically the same team that on the Squirt A State title two years ago, plus a couple good players from Sparta.”

Uminski was proud of the effort from everyone, and it was his team in charge after a period as RJ Manley converted an Ethan Wilcox feed to put the underdogs up 1-0 heading to the second.

Despite a brilliant effort in goal from Jordan Kowalski that saw his team up 1-0 despite being outshot 12-4 in the period, the Titans eventually found a way to the mesh, scoring two unanswered second period goals and then two early in the third to grab control.

“Tomah controlled the game, so even when we were up, it was going to be hard to stay in front of them. I’m extremely proud of our effort. We gave them everything we had,” said Coach Uminski adding his team focused on blocking shots, back checking and clearing rebounds to eliminate Tomah chances. “We did those throughout the game.

Tomah outshot the locals 40-11 and Kowalski, who allowed just two more goals in the final six periods at state, rightfully earned high praise from the coach.

“He played one of his best games of the season,” said Uminski adding that is nothing new for the Cheavers’ goalie. “We had a learning moment early in the season with mental toughness and after he past that, he really took off. He grew as a goaltender and as a kid.”

Amery Warriors 2 RWD Cheavers 8

One of the best things about the peewee Cheavers is its offensive abilities and that was on full display in the final two games.

The Cheavers carried a two-goal lead out of the opening period against Amery before putting up five straight shutout periods. Two more in both the second and third periods allowed the Cheavers to skate away in this one.

Nine different Cheavers checked in on the scoresheet, led by Landen Uminski who fired three goals and added two assists. Paige Othmer fired a pair, Wilcox adding a goal and assist, and other goals scored by Payton Kowalski and Ethan Pope. Single assists went to Hailey Dietl, Wyatt Arnold, RJ Manley, and Tyler Krieski.

Cheavers 7 Waupun Warriors 0

The thrill wasn’t lessened, but the drama of the third game didn’t last long, the Cheavers carrying a 4-0 lead out of the opening period on its way to a lopsided shutout win.

This time Wilcox potted the hat trick, along with an assist and Krieski picked up two of each. Uminski set up a pair with other goals for Payton Kowalski and Elizabeth Haag.

In goal, Jordan Kowalski kicked out all 14 of the shots he faced.

The peewees returned home with a trophy and amazing memories of an experience many people don’t get to participate in.

“We get a trophy and I’ll add a photo of the team and small plaque with all their names on there” said Uminski, meaning every time these players walk in the Reedsburg Area Community Arena (RACA), they will be reminded of this accomplishment.

The RWD Peewee “A’ Cheavers returned home from the Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association (WAHA) Peewee 3A State Championship tournament in Sauk Prairie this past weekend (March 13-14) with a Consolation Champions’ trophy. Team members (in numerical order) include: Hailey Dietl; Wyatt Arnold; Landen Uminski; Ethan Wilcox; Paige Othmer; RJ Manley; Elizabeth Haag; Payton Kowalski; Jordan Kowalski; Ethan Pope; Tyler Krieski and Olivia Renneberg. Coaches are: Joe Uminski; Nate Wilcox and Justin Pope.

“As a coach, I’ve been luck to coach four teams to state and come away with three trophies,” said Uminski. “Each one has history attached to it and the stories that with them. A lot of memories of each season.”

Any player, coach or parent who reaches the state stage, in any sport, gets a special experience. With the craziness of the 2020-21 season, it’s a great finish and for the Cheavers, there was some lemonade made from a lemon of a season. Playing out of Region four also guarantees top notch league opponents and a team well-prepared for when the big games start.

“With all the Division one teams in the Madison area, we have some great competition,” said Coach Uminski. “One silver lining, with all the rink restrictions in Dane County, this year, teams had to come to us. We only played on the road three times. Additionally, I tried to schedule as many top teams from the area to really push these kids this year. We had a great year and were extremely successful, more successful that I thought we would be.

“This is a great group of kids who want to learn and be pushed. Add in the commitment from the parents to get their kids to all the practices and games was amazing. The families made it one of the best years I have ever had coaching. It’s tough letting go of this group, that’s for sure.

“They will always have a special place in my heart.”

Uminski’s four-goal game helps Peewee Cheavers to three win weekend

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

Another weekend, another three wins for the RWD Peewee ‘A’ Cheavers with a sweep on home ice Dec. 19-20.

The weekend started out with a 6-2 win against the Sun Prairie ‘B’ Cardinals early Saturday and in a rematch later the same day, the Cheavers racked up a 9-0 shutout win.

On Sunday, the locals grabbed a second shutout, this time a 5-0 decision against the Verona Wildcats. All three games were played at Reedsburg Area Community Arena (RACA).

Cardinals 2, 0 @ Cheavers 6, 9

In the first game against the Cardinals, Ethan Pope started things off, taking a feed from RJ Manley and sinking the lone goal of the first period for the Cheavers.

Tyler Krieski doubled the margin, from Pope near the halfway mark of the middle period and an unassisted goal for Manley just over a minute later had the home side up 3-0.

The Cardinals fired its first a short time later and cut the margin to a single goal early in the third, but the Cheavers responded with three in the final 10 minutes of the game.

Landen Uminski scored the first with Ethan Wilcox counting the other pair and all three were assisted by Manley.

Jordan Kowalski did a great job in goal, turning aside 31 shots to lift his team to the win, despite being outshot.

Kowalski was perfect in the second game, but his team cut the number of shots he faced by a large amount as well.

A four-goal opening period sent the Cheavers on its way and they added another pair in the middle frame before wrapping it up with three down the stretch.

Uminski paced the offensive attack, scoring four goals and adding a couple assists, Krieski adding two goals and a helper. Hailey Dietl helped with a goal and assist, the other goals scored by Elizabeth Haag and Payton Kowalski.

Manley picked up three assists and Wyatt Arnold also chipped in with one.

Wildcats 0 @ Cheavers 5

Kowalski collected his second goose egg on Dec. 20 with an 18-save shutout making Manley’s lone first period goal, from Krieski, stand up as the game winner.

Two more in the second and third padded the lead, the final two rounding out a hat trick for Manley who also collected an assist.

Second period goals came from Dietl, who later added a set up and Wilcox. Krieski, Paige Othmer and Uminski also picked up assists for the Cheavers who entered the Christmas Break with an overall record of 15-6 and ended the longest losing streak of the season at two games.

The Cheavers were scheduled to be back in action Dec. 27 with a pair of games on home ice against the Onalaska/Holmen Tornado.