Wilcox fires two for Cheavers to claim Dairyland Classic

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Saukhockey.info

The RWD Peewee ‘A’ Cheavers wrapped up what it hopes is the first of two banners, claiming the championship in its Ultimate Tournaments Dairyland Classic Division over the President’s Day weekend.

The Cheavers kicked off the tournament Friday (Feb. 18) afternoon with a 4-0 win against the Waconia (MN) Wildcats at Lake Delton Ice Arena returned with an early morning 1-1 draw against a familiar opponent, the Waunakee Wildcats at Reedsburg Area Community Arena (RACA).

On Sunday morning, the Cheavers wrapped up division play and earned a spot in the championship game with a 3-1 against the Chicago Hawks also at RACA

Later Sunday, the Cheavers returned to Lake Delton to face the Waunakee crew again, claiming the banner with a 3-2 win.

RWD Cheavers 4 Waconia Wildcats 0

Two goals in the first and another pair in the second sent the Cheavers to a win in its opening contest.

Three goals came from Landen Uminski and Teaghen Geffert notched the other. Ethan Wilcox and Dayne Wagner each collected an assist and Jesse Arnold recorded his second shutout of the season in goal for the Cheavers.

RWD Cheavers 1 Waunakee Wildcats 1

A tight defensive battle against a Wildcats team the Cheavers have run into a few times this season saw teams battling to a draw.

Braxton McGuigan put the Wildcats up with the lone goal of the first period, but Uminski equalized the score in the second from Wilcox and Tyler Krieski early in the second.

From there it was the goaltenders taking charge, Arnold wrapping up with 10 saves while the Cheavers tested the Wildcats’ keeper with 25 shots.

RWD Cheavers 3 Chicago Hawks 1

The Cheavers clinched a spot in the championship game with a win Sunday morning in Reedsburg.

Wilcox fired the first goal of the game, late in the first period from Wagner and Krieski and Wagner converted a feed from Uminski early in the second with what turned into the game winner.

The Hawks pulled one back late in the middle period, but Krieski restored the two-goal margin in the final period with help from Wilcox.

Arnold stopped eight shots to pick up the win while the Cheavers peppered the Hawks’ goaltender with 27 shots.

RWD Cheavers 3 Waunakee Wildcats 2

The final brought a rematch with the Wildcats, and they engaged in another close battle Sunday afternoon.

Teams were tied in the standings, but the Wildcats got the nod as the home team based on goal differential through the preliminary contests.

That didn’t matter to the Cheavers who played even through the opening frame, opened a 2-1 edge in the second and widened the gap early in the third.

Uminski’s unassisted goal opened the scoring, and it was Wilcox with another unassisted goal in the second to put the Cheavers up 2-1.

Another Wilcox goal in the final period, from Andrew Stando widened the gap and turned into the game winner when the Wildcats pulled one back later in the period.

Arnold kicked out another dozen while the Cheavers fired 33 at the Waunakee goal.

Three wins and a tie boosted the Cheavers’ overall record to 27-16-2 and they will be looking for another tournament title attending an event in Green Bay this weekend.

That will leave one more weekend of play before the team heads to the WAHA Peewee 3A State Championship in Somerset. More information on that event will be on these pages in the days ahead.

The RWD Cheavers won three and tied one to claim the Ultimate Tournaments Dairyland Classic Peewee Division championship at Lake Delton Ice Arena on Sunday afternoon. Peewee Cheavers team members include: Hailey Dietl; Tyler Krieski; Landen Uminski; Ethan Wilcox; Dayne Wagner; Teaghen Geffert; Noah Backeberg; Evelyn Gurney; Andrew Stando; Jesse Arnold and Ethan Pope.

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.

Squirt Cyclones wrap up third at Hayward tournament

Pictured are members of the South Central Cyclones Squirt A team who finished third at a Hayward tournament this past weekend. Team members include: Landen Uminski; Hailey Dietl; Tyler Krieski; Dayne Wagner; Lukas Schulz; Joseph Patton; Ethan Wilcox; Ethan Pope; Teaghan Geffert; Evelyn Gurney; Jenna Garbacz; and Olivia Renneberg

The South Central Cyclones Squirt A squad wrapped up a third place showing at a tournament in Hayward this past weekend.

The local squad battled three Minnesota-based teams, starting with an impressive 8-1 win against the Waconia Wildcats in the opener Saturday morning, then dropping a 7-1 decision to the Woodland Whalers later the same day. In the third place match on Sunday, the Cyclones pulled out a 2-1 against the Duluth Heights Hornets.

In the first game, the Cyclones opened a 3-0 first period lead and owned a 5-1 cushion heading to the final frame.

Landen Uminski paced the offence in the opener, scoring three goals and adding an assist and Ethan Pope collected a goal and three assists. Hailey Dietl notched a goal and two assists, Tyler Krieski and Joseph Patton adding a goal and assist apiece. The other goal came from Ethan Wilcox and Dayne Wagner collected an assist.

Olivia Renneberg picked up the win in goal, stopping all but one of the 22 shots she faced.

The Whalers owned a 2-0 cushion after a period and widened the gap to 5-1 in the second. Uminski fired the lone Cyclones goal unassisted and Renneberg turned in a 23-save performance.

In the third place contest, the Hornets scored the lone first period goal but an unassisted goal from Teaghen Geffert tied the score in the middle period. Uminski stepped up with the game winner with 6:22 to play in the contest and Renneberg turned aside 10 shots for her second win in goal.

This Saturday will be the last chance to catch the local Squirts in action as they are scheduled to play a pair at the Reedsburg Area Community Arena and as of now, they are the final games on the team’s 2019-20 schedule. At 10 a.m. the locals will take on Tomah Timberwolves Squirts and Sauk Prairie Flyers will be the opposition for the 2:30 p.m. finale.

Krieski’s hat tricks lead Cyclones to pair of wins

A pair of Tyler Krieski hat tricks helped power the South Central Cyclones Squirt A squad to wins in two of three weekend road contests this past weekend.

On Saturday the Cyclones headed to Waunakee for a pair against the Wildcats, taking the first by a lopsided 9-1 margin before the home team turned the tables with a 4-1 win in the getaway game.

On Sunday, the locals headed to Middleton and grabbed a 5-2 win over the host Wings.

In the first game Saturday, the Cyclones grabbed a 3-1 first period lead and added one more in the middle frame before exploding for five more down the stretch.

Two of Krieski’s three goals came on Cyclone powerplays and Joseph Patton also notched one with an extra attacker. Landen Uminski scored twice and also set up three others, Ethan Wilcox adding a goal and assist in the contest. Other goals came from Teaghen Geffert and Dayne Wagner with single assists for Ethan Pope, Hailey Dietl and Evelyn Gurney.

Olivia Renneberg turned aside all but one of the nine shots she faced in goal for the Cyclones.

A couple hours later teams hit the ice again, this time Dietl scoring the lone goal for the Cyclones, tying the game at 1-1 with 14 seconds to play in the opening period. Renneberg handled 18 shots in this one.

At Middleton, the Cyclones owned a 1-0 cushion after a period and it was 4-1 heading to the third.

Krieski scored three and the other two both came from Uminski. Lukas Schulz, and Wilcox both collected assists and Renneberg collected another win with 11 saves in goal.

This weekend the Squirt Cyclones will play at a tournament in Hayward, beginning on Saturday morning against Waconia, Minn.