MONROE, Wis. (WEKZ) - The Monroe Cheesemakers (3-1) were able to hold off the Stoughton Vikings (0-4) Friday night at the SLICE.

Monroe got a pair of first-period goals, the first coming on a scramble in front of the net that was poked home by Patrick Alt (1) and the second on a power-play score by Hans Brandt (2), to take a 2-0 lead. Late in the first period, Stoughton's leading scorer, Colton Vinson (4), was able to sneak one past for a score with just 15 seconds to go until the first intermission to cut the lead in half.

In the second period, it was Vinson (5) again getting a puck to deflect in to tie the game. A physical second period with a number of board-rattling and bone-shaking hits all over the ice was headed to its conclusion when a Monroe penalty late in the second period put Stoughton on the power play. The Vikings weren't able to score in the final 66 seconds of the period with the man advantage, and the game remained tied at 2 going into the second intermission.

Stoughton began the third period with 54 seconds of power-play hockey, peppering the net with shots. Monroe was able to kill off the penalty, and only 16 seconds later, at the 1:10 mark of the third period, Wyatt Janecke (4) hammered home a rebound goal on the third try to give Monroe a 3-2 lead. The Cheesemakers carried the lead all the way until 5:10 was left in regulation, when they added to it with Patrick Alt's (2) second goal of the contest, to go up 4-2.

Ten seconds later, it was Stoughton's Vinson (6) getting the hat trick by taking the ensuing faceoff straight down the middle, dumping one over the top and into the back of the net to knock the margin down to a single goal. Monroe used good defense and excellent play in net by Brock Brandli to hold off Stoughton's attempt to tie the game and win the game 4-3.

Brandli finished with 32 saves on 35 shots faced and 3 goals allowed. Stoughton netminder Nate Veenhuis turned away 26 shots while giving up 4 goals.

Wyatt Janecke also had a pair of assists to go with his goal for Monroe. Stoughton's Ian Westerberg assisted on 2 of Vinson's 3 goals.

Monroe will have the week off before playing McFarland on Friday, Dec. 8. Stoughton will hit the road Tuesday to play Baraboo/Portage. The two teams will meet again on Tuesday, Jan. 9 in Stoughton.

GOALS
Monroe: Patrick Alt (1, 2), Hans Brandt (2-PP), Wyatt Janecke (4)
Stoughton: Colton Vinson (4, 5, 6)

SAVES
Monroe: Brock Brandli 32 (35 SF)
Stoughton: Nate Veenhuis 26 (30 SF)

PENALTIES
Monroe: Owen Hicks 1-2, Ethan Rosenstiel 1-2
Stoughton: Colton Vinson 1-2

POWER PLAY
Monroe: 1-1
Stoughton: 0-2