By numbers, the Tomahawk Hatchets are the smallest public school hockey program in the WIAA with an enrollment of just 335 students. The smallest program in the state turned out to be biggest on Saturday at Bob Suters Legacy20 Arena in Middleton when they defeated the Amery Warriors 5-3 in the Division 2 Championship game at the WIAA State High School Hockey Tournament.

Just 42 seconds into the first period Brayden Lamer found Jett Reilly just behind the Amery defense on the Warrior blue line and Reilly came in one-on-one with goalie Carter Meyer. Reilly went forehand-backhand with a defenseman crawling up his back and put it through Meyer's legs for the 1-0 lead.

Just under four minute later, Amery would tie the score on a three-on-two. Jacob Maxon carried into the zone and was pressured by Brayden Lamer and forced to pass to the middle where Austin Lamer lifted the stick of Jasic Manning and the puck continued across to Logan Doten to fired it in to tie the game at one.

After a period of four-on-four play, Jonah Dickens received a long-lead pass on a line change behind the Amery defense and he raced in on a breakaway. he went backhand-forehand but Meyer got his toe on it in net. 

The teams traded penalties for the remainder of the period, and Meyer stood on his head at the end of the period as Tomahawk poured on pressure during the last 10 seconds of the first period while on the power play, but he kept the net clean and the first period ended 1-1.

Amery took the lead at the 3:12 mark of the second period on a power play after two short handed chances by Tomahawk.  Logan Doten got the puck to Elliot Greene in the corner and Greene stepped out into a circle and roofed one over the shoulder of goalie Trevor Seliskar while he was down in the RVH, to make it 2-1.

Tomahawk evened it up at 8:57 mark when Jett Reilly came in on a two-on-one with Jonah Dickens. Reilly slid the puck across to Dickens who came in on the Meyer and made a move, losing the handle and sliding it through the through his legs to tie the game at two.

Tomahawk would extend the lead two minutes later. Jonah Dickens came into the Amery zone with speed and Elliot Greene was forced to hold him and haul him down, giving the Hatchets a powerplay. On the power play Dickens hit Jett Reilly on the point. Reilly went back down to Dickens who fed Brayden Lamer on the other side and Brayden wristed it into the top corner over Meyer to make it 3-2 Tomahawk.

Tomahawk extended the lead at the 7:09 mark of the third period. Johan Dickens went back to Brayden Lamer on the point. Lamer held the puck past a sliding Amery player trying to block the shot, then after he slid by, he stepped up and shot high on Meyer. Meyer made the initial save but Sawyer Hanna was there to knock in the rebound and make it 4-2 Hatchets.

Jett Reilly extended the lead about a minute and a half later when he split the defense at the hashmarks and made a move forehand-backhand move to score and make it 5-2.

Gavin Humpal narrowed the lead on a powerplay for the Warriors. He came into the zone and cut to the left faceoff circle and fired high over the glove of Seliskar in net to make it 5-3.

Tomahawk took a time out with 2:52 left in the third to settle their defense and Amery pulled Meyer for the extra attacker. They kept it buried in the Tomahawk zone until an icing at 1:21 stopped the clock giving Amery a chance to take their time out. 

Unfortunately for the Warriors they weren't able to convert with the extra attacker and Tomahawk took the 5-3 win for their first championship in school history.

Carter Meyer had 29 saves in the loss for Amery, including two breakaway saves and several odd-man rush saves. Trevor Seliskar had 22 saves in the win for the Hatchets.

This was the Warriors' first appearance in the WIAA State High School Hockey Tournament. It was the third appearance for the Hatchets (1990, 2024) and their first championship.