Over the years there has been a myth that high school hockey isn't good enough. It is part of the recruitment pitch for full-season AAA teams. Meanwhile, Team Wisconsin, Wisconsin's pre-post team that keeps players at home for the regular season is sending 6 of the 8 Tier 1 Wisconsin representatives to the Central District tournaments next week.

Team Wisconsin's U16 (boys and girls), U18 (boys) and U19 (girls) teams are fed by rosters of WIAA hockey players, and all four of those teams won Tier 1 state championships this weekend against the Madison Capitols and Milwaukee Jr Admirals. 

Team Wisconsin combined with WIAA hockey offers players a combined 50-60 game season with the benefit of practicing at home 4 days a week during the whole high school season. Every senior girl on Team Wisconsin's U19 team is committed to a Division 1 or 3 college hockey program for next season.

Between Team Wisconsin at tier 1, and the Wisconsin Elite Hockey League and Wisconsin Selects at tier 2, it is the opinion of Wisconsin Prep Hockey that the expense and travel of full-season AAA hockey is unnecessary.

With Molly Jex (University School) between the pipes for their first game in the "post" part of Team Wisconsin's pre-post season, they took on the Milwaukee Jr Admirals on Friday.

The girls were dominant, outshooting the Admirals 40-8 in the game and rolling to a 7-0 win.

Maleiyah Streck (Fox Cities) opened the scoring for TW for a 1-0 first period. Sophia Bohlin (Central Wisconsin), Kendall Sundby (St Croix Valley), and Makaela Reinke (Superior) extended the lead to 4-0 after two periods. Sundby added two more goals in the third period and Jenna Jones (Wisconsin Valley Union) capped off the scoring in front of Jex's shutout.

"Coming back as a group after a high school season is hard to get back into the groove of things to play at a Tier 1 pace not only for our U19 team but for any of the TW teams," said head coach Brian Poshak. 

Team Wisconsin looked just as dominant in the first period on Sunday against the Capitols, this time with Catterina Donna (Hudson) between the pipes. They out shot the Caps 13-3 in the first period, and left with a 1-0 lead on a Taylor Heleniak (Northland Pines) goal. 

Again, the girls scored three goals in the second period, this time it ws Reinke, Sundby, and Averie Martin (Hudson). 

The third period was pretty quiet until penalties got the TW girls in trouble. The Capitols picked up a power-play goal with 2:40 left, and another power-play goal with 1:12 left. The Caps picked up a final goal with 34 seconds left while they had their goalie pulled but TW hung on for the win, and earned their trip to the Central District tournament.

"This State Championship is a testament to the girls wanting to win and finish their senior tier one season strong," said Poshak. "We were able to put together 2 game successful game plans versus the Admirals and the Capitals."

"We have a big challenge next week at Central Districts as we play a St. Louis team that has improved throughout the year and one of the top teams in the country every year in the Chicago Mission," Poshak added.

The Team Wisconsin 18U boys opened their post season with a 5-0 win over the Madison Capitols, outshooting them 44-9 with Devin Rustle (Bay Port) earning a shutout between the pipes.

Bryce Dahl (Notre Dame) opened the scoring for Team Wisconsin, leading them to a 1-0 first period. Vincent Greene (Amery), Drew Bowe (Chippewa Falls), and Nick Madsen (ECM) made it 4-0 after two periods.

Matthew Richter (Edgewood) capped off the scoring for Team Wisconsin, to take the 5-0 win.

That set up a matchup with the Miwaukee Jr Admirals on Sunday where Team Wisconsin skated to a 4-2 win with Rowan White (Edgewood) earning the win between the pipes.

Like all four games featuring the top-aged teams in the TW boys and girls lineups, it was 1-0 Team Wisconsin after one period, on an unassisted goal by Drew Bowe (Chippewa Falls).

The Admirals tied it up early in the second period, but Quinn Smith (Madison West) put TW back up with a shorty midway through the period.

The Admirals tied it up again in the third, but Joseph Coghlin (Notre Dame) scored the game-winner with about five minutes left in the third. A major penalty on TW with 2:10 left on the clock gave the Admirals a long crack at tying it up with an extra attacker and the goalie pulled, but they weren't able to beat White in net and Madsen added an empty netter to make it 4-2. White stopped 27 of 29 in the win.

Girls

14U - The 14U Team Wisconsin girls (mostly 8th graders) lost 1-0 to the Jr Admirals and 2-0 to the Caps. This is the toughest age level for TW as the players don't have the benefit of four high school practices a week.

16U - The 16U Team Wisconsin girls squad lost 3-2 in overtime to the Milwaukee Jr Admirals, despite outshooting them 46-20. The Capitols came and beat the Admirals 4-1, but couldn't solve Ilsa Brunner (Central Wisconsin Storm) who led TW to a 1-0 win, outshooting the Caps 32-16 to advance to Central Districts.

13O - Team Wisconsin beat the Admirals 6-3 on goals by Boden Wagner (3), Reece Parsons (2), and Thomas Tripp Wroblewski. They followed with a win over the Capitols 4-3 on goals by Wagner, Parson, Wroblewski and Carson Schroeder, to advance to Central Districts.

14U - The 14-year-olds (mostly 8th graders) were shut out by the Capitols 3-0 in their first game, outshooting the Caps 28-25. They came back at beat the Jr Admirals 6-3 on goals by Luke Schemberger (2), William Mauer, Jett Reilly, Jake Molaski, and Henry Steele. The Capitols win over the Jr Admirals earned them the pass to the Central District tournament.

15O - Team Wisconsin beat the Caps 6-2, and the Admirals 6-0 to roll their way to Central Districts. In the first game they outshot the Admirals 40-16 and got goals from Jackson Marthaler (2, Superior) Grady Miller (SPASH), Mark Sutton (NHM), Evan Foiles (Chippewa Falls), and Jackson Kirkevold (Hudson, WI). Julian Scalcuccu (Wausau West) earned the win. It was narrower in the second game, outshooting the Caps 35-20 with goals by Mack Diggins (2, ECM), Grant Molski (2, SPASH), Cooper DePuydt (Wausau West), and Brayden Lamer (Tomahawk). Daniel Linn (River Falls) earned the win and pass to Central Districts.

16U - Team Wisconsin beat the Jr Admirals 6-1, and Capitols 4-1. TW swarmed the Admirals, outshooting them 41-22, with goals by Brayden Severin (Superior), Nathan Antti (Notre Dame), Jackson Schroeder (SPASH), Maksim Salienko (SPASH), Gabriel Braun (St Mary's Springs), and Carter Drexler (SPASH). Spencer Shober (Fond du Lac) picked up the win in net. The second game was closer, only outshooting the Capitols 28-20. Braun, Austin Lamer (Tomahawk), and Jack McKenna (2, Arrowhead) picked up the goals for TW and Spencer Shober was again between the pipes to go back to Central Districts.