ConnectFitchburg.com
December 13, 2019
Verona boys hockey
Fitchburg Star
3
Girls hockey
Wildcats start strong Metro Lynx blasting past
opponents with little resistance
MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor
Verona scored three goals in the second period to defeat Big Eight Conference rival Madison West 3-1 on Friday, Dec. 6, at Madison Ice Arena. The Wildcats scored three goals in each period of their home opener Tuesday, Dec. 3, against Beloit Memorial, shutting out the Purple Knights 9-0 at Verona Ice Arena. Verona (4-1, 2-0 Big Eight) finished second in the Paul Meyer Memorial Tournament, shutting out Bay Port 4-0 on Friday, Nov. 29, and losing to Milwaukee University 2-1 a day later at Uihlein Ice Arena in River Hills. Nathan Jurrens scored two third-period goals to lead the Wildcats to a 4-3 victory in the season opener against Edgewood on Monday, Nov. 25, at LaBahn Arena in Madison.
Verona 3, Madison West 1
Parker Ploc scored off an assist from Walker Haessig just 1:15 into the second period to tie the game at 1. Haessig scored the go-ahead goal at the 11:24 mark off assists from Cale Rufenacht and Conrad Moline. Rufenacht scored a little more than a minute later off assists from Haessig and Josh Osting. Verona goaltender Kaden Grant made 21 saves. The Regents’ Devin Huie scored an empty-net goal at the 6:03 mark of the first period.
Verona 9, Beloit Memorial 0
The Wildcats outshot the Purple Knights 71-7, as Grant recorded his second shutout of the season. Rufenacht finished with two goals and two assists. Haessig scored two evenstrength goals, and Ploc scored two short-handed goals. Leo Renlund and Moline dished out four and three assists, respectively. The Wildcats scored in the first two minutes of each period. Osting found the back of the net 1:17 into the game, Rufenacht scored 1:57 into the second period,
MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor
Photo by Mark Nesbitt
Verona senior defenseman Keegan Lindell (11) passes the puck around Edgewood’s Payton Smith in the Wildcats’ 4-3 win over the Crusaders on Monday, Nov. 25, at LaBahn Arena in Madison. and Drew Yeager scored a minute into the final period. Haessig scored at the 11:15 mark of the first and 35 seconds after Rufenacht’s goal in the second period. Ploc scored at the 10:21 mark of the second and the 9:48 mark of the third. Reece Cordray scored with a second left in the first period, and Rufenacht scored on the power play with 9:21 left in the game. Osting, Jurrens, Ryan Ritter and Tanner Kaltenberg each finished with one assist.
Paul Meyer Memorial Tournament
Renlund had a goal and an assist to lead the Wildcats past Bay Port in the tournament opener. He opened up the scoring 45 seconds into the game off assists from Rufenacht and Osting. Troy Tollefson scored a power-play goal off a pass from Osting at the 14:24 mark of the first. Jurrens scored a power-play goal off assists from Renlund and Rufenacht at the 10:34 mark of the second period. Moline capped the scoring a little more than two minutes later off an assist from Anthony Heinrichs. Grant finished with 16 saves against Bay Port. University’s Alex Thundercloud scored the game-winning goal at the 10:59 mark of the third period against
Verona. Yeager scored a power-play goal off an assist from Tollefson at the 5:34 mark of the second period to tie the game at 1. Verona was 1-for-9 on the power play.
Verona 4, Edgewood 3
Jurrens scored the game-tying goal on assists by Renlund and Rufenacht at the 4:43 mark of the final period. The junior defenseman delivered the game-winner off a pass from Haessig at 11:41. “He’s a dynamic defender for us with a lot of speed and poise,” Wildcats coach Joel Marshall said of Jurrens. “I think after losing one of the state’s top scorers from last year (Mack Keryluk), I think it will be a team effort for us this year. We have three lines that are strong.” The Crusaders had a shot clang off the post in the final 3:30, but Verona held on. The Wildcats struck first on Haessig’s goal 32 seconds into the first period off assists from Renlund and Rufenacht.The Crusaders’ J.J. Wiebusch scored a power-play goal off an assist from Aidan Lenz at the 10:21 mark of the first. Wiebusch scored off assists from Lenz and Nathan Walker a little more than two minutes later to give the Crusaders a 2-1 lead. The Wildcats answered less than two minutes later, with Ploc scoring off passes from Cordray and Moline.
The Madison Metro Lynx continued their hot start to the season with two more wins last week to remain undefeated. The Metro Lynx rolled to a 10-0 shutout of the Badger Lightning on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at Madison Ice Arena, and blanked Milwaukee University 4-0 on Saturday, Dec. 7, at Uihlein Ice Arena in River Hills. Forwards Lauren Johnson and Kaya Pelton-Byce each netted hat tricks to lead the Lynx to a 14-4 win over Onalaska on Saturday, Nov. 30, at Madison Ice Arena. Sydney Raaths recorded four goals and three assists in the the Lynx’s 10-3 victory over the Icebergs on Saturday, Nov. 23, at Mandt Community Center in Stoughton. The Metro Lynx (4-0, 2-0 Badger Conference) are averaging 9.5 goals per game.
Metro Lynx 10, Badger Lightning 0
Mia Goetzke netted a hat trick and Rachel Mirwald posted two goals and two assists to lead the Metro Lynx past the Lightning. Johnson put the Lynx on the board with a goal just 1:06 into the game. Eight seconds later, Mirwald scored off assists from Hannah Kolpien and Grace Bonnell. Maddy Ahlborn scored off a pass from Bonnell at the 8:15 mark of the opening period. The Lynx exploded for four goals in the second period. Kolpien scored off a pass from Mirwald just 1:15 into the period. Five minutes later, Abby Ahlborn scored a power-play goal off an assist from PeltonByce. Mirwald scored her second goal off assists from Goetzke and Kolpien at the 6:16 mark. Goetzke scored a short-handed goal off assists from Bonnell and Abby Ahlborn at the 12:22 mark.
Metro Lynx 4, Milwaukee University 0
Jenna Culp scored at the 9:21 mark of the first period, and Olander scored off assists from Pelton-Byce and Ally Jacobson at the 8:43 mark of the second. Raaths scored off assists from Mirwald and Olander with 13:34 left in the game. Johnson scored off assists from PeltonByce and Raaths a little more than five minutes later. The Metro Lynx outshot the Wildcats 28-21, as goaltender Camryn McKersie picked up the shutout.
Metro Lynx 14, Onalaska 4
The Metro Lynx dominated the game from puck drop, scoring four goals in the first period. “I think our biggest strength was our speed against them,” Johnson said. “I
Photo by Mark Nesbitt
Madison West junior Ava Downing (4) looks to make a pass with pressure from Onalaska senior Paige Christenson during the third period Saturday, Nov. 30, at Madison Ice Arena. The Metro Lynx won 14-4.
think this year, we have a lot of good forwards and defensemen that move the puck well together. I think with our speed, we are able to get pucks to the net.” Mirwald dished out a team-high five assists. Kolpien and Bonnell each had a goal and two assists. Jacobsen put the Lynx on the board at the 14:26 mark of the opening period with a goal off assists from Mirwald and Olander. Less than two minutes later, Kolpien scored off a pass from Mirwald. Ava Jambor scored off an assist from Bonnell at the 6:28 mark of the first. Pelton-Byce scored her first goal a little more than two minutes later off a pass from Raaths. The Metro Lynx added to their lead in the second period with three goals. Johnson scored her first goal, and Goetzke scored off a pass from Kolpien to give the Lynx a 6-1 lead. Raaths had a goal off an assist from Mirwald at the 4:57 mark. Pelton-Byce scored just 1:17 into the third period off a pass from Kolpien. Three minutes later, Johnson scored her second goal off an assist from Mirwald to give the Lynx a 9-3 lead.”
Metro Lynx 10, Icebergs 3 The Lynx’s top line posted eight goals and six assists. Abby Ahlborn netted three goals. Pelton-Byce had two goals and two assists, and Johnson added two assists. The Lynx scored two goals in the first 1:23 of the first period. Raaths scored her first goal off an assist from Johnson just 50 seconds into the game. “The first shift I was a little nervous,” Raaths said. “I got the puck and there was a lot of space, so I went all the way down and shot it. It was a pretty good start.” Pelton-Byce scored 13 seconds later. Abby Ahlborn added a goal on a pass from Raaths to extend the Lynx’s lead to 3-0 with 8:30 left in the opening period. Pelton-Byce scored off assists from Raaths and Bonnell at the 5:14 mark.
Madison Edgewood boys hockey
Crusaders crush Red Hawks, Vikings in Badger South Conference play the road and lost to Notre the first period and six goals Dame 9-1. in the second. The Crusaders lost their Edgewood goaltender T h e E d g ew o o d b o y s season opener to Verona Quinn Senke had 11 saves. hockey team is unbeaten in 4-3 on Monday, Nov. 25, at Notre Dame 9, the Badger South Confer- LaBahn Arena. ence and reached the .500 Edgewood 13, Milton 3 Edgewood 1 The Tritons were 3-formark overall after rolling Drew Lenz scored three past Milton on Tuesday, goals and had two assists to 5 on the power play and Dec. 10, at LaBahn Arena lead the Crusaders past the led 6-1 after two periods at Hartmeyer Ice Arena in in Madison. Red Hawks. The Crusaders cruised Aidan Lenz scored two Madison. Wi e bu s c h s c o r e d t h e to a 13-3 win over the Red goals and dished out three Hawks. Edgewood (2-2, 2-0 assists, and J.J. Wiebus- lone goal for the CrusadBadger South) dominated ch added two goals and an ers off assists from Cooper Fink and Cody Menzel at in a 12-2 win over Stough- assist. ton on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at Edgewood outshot Mil- the 7:56 mark of the secLaBahn Arena. Four days ton 60-14. The Crusaders ond period to cut the Notre later, Edgewood went on exploded for seven goals in Dame’s lead to 3-1. MARK NESBITT
Assistant sports editor
The Tritons outshot the 11-1 after two periods. what we need to learn for Crusaders 55-18, as Zach The Crusaders outshot the February, then I will take it.” Walker had a game-high 46 Vikings 52-13. saves. Verona 4, Edgewood 3 a dTvah en t aCgreu soaf d ae r sVetrooon ka Nathan Jurrens scored two third-period goals to penalty to tie the game Edgewood 12, lead the Wildcats to a come- at 1, as Wiebusch scored Stoughton 2 on the power play off an from-behind 4-3 victory. Drew Lenz recorded a The Crusaders had a shot assist from Aidan Lenz at hat trick and two assists to clang off the post in the the 10:21 mark. Wiebuspower the Crusaders past final 3:30, but Verona held ch scored off assists from the Vikings. Walker and Aidan Lenz a on. Nathan Walker added “ I t h i n k t h e r e a r e little more than two minutes two goals and two assists. moments where we have to later to give the Crusaders Payton Smith also had four be a little bit tougher to win their first lead. points with a goal and three games like that,” Edgewood Edgewood took a 3-2 lead assists. coach Pete Rothering said. on Aidan Lenz’s goal at the Edgewood led 6-1 at the “I would rather win than 14:13 mark of the second end of the first period and lose, but if this teaches us period.