The Wisconsin Selects closed the door on their Fall season with a 2-1 win and 3-0 loss to Badger City in Chippewa Falls last weekend. The Selects have won two of the three games between the two teams. Wisconsin finishes the first portion of their schedule with a record of 15-7-1. The team will reunite in March following the conclusion of the WIAA season which began on Monday.

Badger City struck first in game one on a goal by former Selects forward Julia Purintun who drove down the right wing then cut inside to the net beating Makenna Hutchison for a 1-0 lead. Wisconsin held a 7-6 shots advantage in a tight checking first period. Looking for a spark in period two the line of Gabi Heuser, Addison Gruhlke and Kayla Dogs got to work in the offensive zone. Gruhlke retrieved a loose puck in the corner and quickly found Heuser near the hash marks. Heuser one-timed a bullet past Jillian Traver to tie the score at 1-1.

The teams remained tied into period three when Heuser would strike again. Gruhlke took a breakout pass from Emmerson Berger then sent a stretch pass to Heuser who drilled a wrist shot over the shoulder of Travers for the game winning goal. Hutchison continued her strong Fall season by shutting the door for a 2-1 victory. Badger City outshot the Selects 19-18.

Game two might have been one of the Selects best efforts of the season despite the loss. Badger City scored at 4:39 of period one. The game remained 1-0 as the two teams battled into the third period. Wisconsin dominated most of the second period (shots 12-4) and held Badger City without a shot on goal for over twelve minutes to end the second and start the third period. Badger goaltender Jordyn Godfrey answered every Select shot in turning in a 35 save shutout performance. Erin Ruis scored a powerplay goal with just under five minutes remaining and Anjati Ballweg sealed it with another in the game’s final two minutes. Greta Woelber stopped 21 shots in the loss.

“In terms of how we played, we probably deserved to lose the first game and win the second,” said head coach Emily Bauer. “But that’s hockey,” she continued. “We played a strong schedule this last month and we will be better for it come spring season. Now it is time for our players to pack away their Selects gear and join their WIAA teams. We wish them all the best of luck.”

On a side note, Selects forward Reese Duncan, missed the weekend series. She and her Barron teammates were busy winning the WIAA Division Three State Volleyball tournament in Green Bay.

“We are all so excited and proud of Reese, what a great accomplishment,” noted Bauer.

The Selects now await an appeal ruling by USA Hockey regarding the eligibility of Badger City to see if the two teams will play in March to earn a berth in the Central District Tournament, March 14-16 in Chicago. The 19U National Tournament will be held in Cleveland, Ohio, April 2-6