Eagles roll past Marquette to win Culver’s Cup

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The Sauk Prairie Eagles wrapped up a perfect weekend in the Madison area, collecting the Culver’s Cup in its first try.

Thrilled to be among the eight teams in the varsity division for the first time, the Eagles used a 10-4 win against Oshkosh Ice Hawks and a 8-0 shutout against the Marshfield Tigers to roll into the championship game.

The Marquette Hilltoppers were the final team in their path and the Eagles rolled over them 4-0 with another big game for the Mast brothers, senior Nick and junior Luke along with senior Erik Peterson who combine for one of the most potent lines in the league.

Through the first two games, the trio combined for a total of 14 goals and 25 points.

Sophomore Karsyn Banta scored the game winner 2:41 into the contest from Nick and first year Gunnar Nachreiner.

The high scoring trio took over from there, Luke scoring later in the period with set ups for the other two and Peterson adding insurance with a pair of middle period goals, both with assists for Luke and additional help from senior Hakon Peterson on the first.

In goal, juniors Kaden Stracke and Brooks McInenerny shared the shutout, combining to stop all 17 shots faced.

The three wins at the Culver’s Cup tournament boosted the Eagles’ overall record to 9-2 and runs its current winning streak to six games.

The team will begin the second half of the season on home ice at Sauk Prairie Area Recreation Center on Monday (Jan. 3) wrapping up the first half of its Badger West schedule. On Thursday the same team will be in Monroe at SLICE to take on the host Cheesemakers.

Eagles to face Marquette in Culver’s final

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The Sauk Prairie Eagles grabbed a second lopsided win to advance to the Culver’s Cup Championship on Tuesday, downing the Marshfield Tigers 8-0.

After blanking Oshkosh through the first half of the game the previous day, Eagles’ junior goaltender Kaden Stracke turned in a full 51-minute goose egg, stopping all 19 Tigers’ shots.

Senior Nick Mast scored the only goal his team needed 5:32 into the contest, then rolled to a first-period hatrick and a four-goal/three assist game, giving him 13 points through the tournament’s first two games.

Junior brother, Luke Mast also recorded seven points with three goals and four assists, the other Eagles’ goal scored by senior Hakon Peterson and first-year Gunnar Nachreiner collected four assists in the win.

The other finalist will be the Marquette Hilltoppers who earned a bye through the first round and defeated the Monona Grove Silver Eagles 5-1 in the semis to grab the other championship game spot.

Monk’s Culver’s and Mullet Cup tournaments

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

RWD, Baraboo/Portage and Sauk Prairie varsity teams will all hit the tournament trail this week, seeing some different teams and getting a break from their respective conference schedules.

RWD Cheavers will once again host the annual Monk’s Cheeseburger Classic. The 12^th version of the tournament will see it once again as an eight-team event after being trimmed to four last season.

The tournament has been an important launching pad for the Cheavers in past seasons. They won the first tournament and rolled from that to a state championship berth. In 2014-15, a team much like this season’s Cheavers carried a 4-3-1 record into the Monk’s tournament and turned three wins to win the title into an 18-game unbeaten streak that didn’t end until the State championship quarterfinals.

The Cheavers will begin its latest version of the tournament in the final game of the day on Dec. 28 against the River Falls Wildcats at 7:30 p.m.

Meanwhile the Sauk Prairie Eagles will begin play at the annual Culver’s Cup, playing out of Hartmeyer Ice Arena and Madison Ice Arena.

The Eagles will begin at 2:45 p.m. against the Oshkosh Ice Hawks.

Baraboo/Portage Thunderbirds will begin the following day at a tournament in Hartland.

Here is a little information on the local tournament and the other ones as well.

Monks’s Cheeseburger Classic

Lake Delton Ice Arena

Tuesday, Dec. 28

Game 1 — 12 p.m. — Wisconsin Rapids Red Raiders (5-3, 2-2 Wisconsin Valley) vs. La Crescent-Hokah Lancers 4-2, Minnesota Independent)

Game 2 — 2:30 p.m. — McFarland Spartans (4-5, 3-2 Badger East) vs. Onalaska Hilltoppers (3-4, 1-1 Mississippi Valley)

Game 3 — 5 p.m. — Tomah Sparta (3-5, 1-0 Mississippi Valley) vs. Kenosha Thunder (4-2, 0-1 Classic Eight)

Game 4 — 7:30 p.m. — RWD Cheavers (6-5, 3-2 Badger West) vs. River Falls Wildcats (3-5, 0-4 Big Rivers)

Wednesday, Dec. 29

Game 5 – 12 p.m. – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2

Game 6 – 2:30 p.m. — Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

Game 7 – 5 p.m. — Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4

Game 8 – 7:30 p.m. — Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4

Thursday, Dec. 30

Game 9 – 10 a.m. — Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 7

Game 10 – 12:30 p.m. — Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7

Game 11 – 3 p.m. — Loser Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8

Game 12 – 5:30 p.m. — Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 8

Culver’s Cup – Varsity Boys Division

Tuesday Dec. 28 – Quarterfinals

Game 1 – 2:45 p.m. — Sauk Prairie Eagles (6-2, 2-2 Badger West) vs. Oshkosh Ice Hawks (3-4, 2-1 Badgerland) — MIA

Game 2 – 7:45 p.m. — Madison West Regents (3-7, 3-4 Big Eight) vs. Marshfield Tigers (6-3-1, 2-1 Wisconsin Valley) — MIA

Game 3 – 5:15 p.m. — Marquette Hilltoppers (6-1, 1-0 Classic Eight) vs. Madison Memorial Spartans (4-6, 3-3 Big Eight) — MIA

Game 4 – 7:45 p.m. — Ashland Oredockers (4-5, Independent) vs. Monona Grove Silver Eagles (3-5, 2-3 Badger East) — Hartmeyer

Wednesday Dec. 29 – Semi Finals

Game 5 – 12:15 p.m. — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 – MIA

Game 6 – 2:45 p.m. — Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 – MIA

Game 7 – 5:15 p.m. — Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 – MIA

Game 8 – 7:45 p.m. — Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 – MIA

Thursday, Dec. 30 – Finals

7^th Place Game – 4:45 p.m. — Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 7 – Hartmeyer

5^th Place Game – 4:45 p.m. — Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7 – MIA

3^rd Place Game – 7:15 p.m. — Loser Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8 – Hartmeyer

Championship Game – 7:15 p.m. — Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 8 – MIA

Mullet Cup

Howard G. Mullet Ice Center – Hartland, WI

There will be four teams in this two-day event.

On Dec. 29, the first game will pit the Homestead Highlanders (5-5, 0-0 North Shore) against the Sheboygan Red Raiders (3-9, 0-3 Fox River) at 4:45 p.m. followed by the Baraboo-Portage Thunderbirds (2-7, 1-2 Badger West) against the Arrowhead Warhawks (6-2, 0-0 Classic Eight).

Game times and match ups for the Consolation and Championship game on Dec. 30 are still TBA as of press time.

Badger Lightning

The Lightning will not be in a tournament this season, but locals get a look at them at Pierce Park Pavilion on Wednesday at 5 p.m. when they play host to the Northern Pines Eagles at Pierce Park Pavilion wrapping up a three-game homestand.

Another tough second half buries Thunderbirds

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

For a second straight day, the Baraboo/Portage Thunderbirds varsity hockey team saw a close game slip away as they ended up on the wrong end of a 7-2 decision against Marquette Hilltoppers at a four-team event played in Hartland.

The Dec. 29-30 event brought together the Thunderbirds, Hilltoppers, Arrowhead Warhawks and host Brookfield Stars who defeated the Thunderbirds 4-2 the previous day.

Even at 2-2 with 5:52 to play in the second period, the Thunderbirds trailed 4-2 by the end of the period then surrendered a trio of unanswered third period markers to make a much more lopsided final.

The Hilltoppers opened the scoring just 35 seconds into the contest, but sophomore Peyton Sloan fired his second of the season 3:51 from the end of the period to pull Thunderbirds even on a feed from senior Campbell Koseor.

A goal in the final minute had the Hilltoppers up 2-1 heading to the second and that lead held up until late in the middle session when junior Gabe Fitzwilliams tied it again for the Thunderbirds with a set up from freshman Dylann Carpenter.

The tie was erased just over two minutes later and the Thunderbirds never scored again.

Andrew Schaetzl was peppered with 40 shots in the contest in goal for the Thunderbirds.

In the other contest saw Warhawks capturing top spot in the event with a 6-1 win against the Stars.

The losses in Hartland drop the Thunderbirds to 3-6 on the season so far and they will return to Pierce Park Pavilion Saturday (Jan. 2) for a 6 p.m. contest against Tomah/Sparta looking to get back on track.

Thunderbirds can’t hold on to early lead

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

Baraboo/Portage Thunderbirds dropped a tough 4-2 decision to the host Brookfield Stars in the opening match of the Brookfield Quad held at the Howard G. Mullett Ice Center in Hartland on Tuesday (Dec. 29).

Up by a goal after a period and 2-0 just past the halfway mark of the middle period, the Thunderbirds still owned a 2-1 cushion heading to the third.

Momentum built for the home side though through the final period as they scored the tying goal 63 seconds in, then grabbed the lead at the 4:50 mark. Another goal with 7:35 to play boosted the margin and Brookfield went on to carry the lead to the finish line.

Unfortunately, scoring details were unavailable as this was put together and will be added later.

The other two teams involved also played to a 4-2 score, Arrowhead Warhawks doubling up on the Marquette Hilltoppers.

Thunderbirds will try to regroup in time for a game Wednesday (Dec. 30) at 5 p.m. against Marquette with the Warhawks and Stars facing off in the finale at 7 p.m.

The loss dropped the Baraboo/Portage squad to 3-5 on the season. Next up for the Thunderbirds will be a meeting with the Tomah/Sparta hockey club on Saturday (Jan. 2) at Pierce Park Pavilion.