If you thought I had run out of things to write about, you were wrong. The season has officially ended, but there is still plenty to talk about. I had a terrific time covering the girl’s side of WIAA hockey this past winter. I hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as I enjoyed writing about it.

Luke Steurer Stepping Down at Rock County

Luke Steurer has made it official that he will step down as Rock County head coach after twelve years behind the bench. Steurer served as an assistant coach prior to taking over the head job in 2017. He was the program’s third head coach. During his tenure as head coach Steurer went 86-76-6, won four Badger Conference Titles (2018,19,20,24) and led the team to their second state tournament appearance in 2020. In 2017-18 Rock County produced the program’s best season record at 19-3-2. They lost to Cap City in the Sectional Finals that season. The Fury played a WAHA schedule during the 20-21 Covid season. Steurer was Sectional Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2024, Conference COY 2024. Wisconsin State Journal COY 2020. He is currently serving his first year on the GWHCA Board.  

Most fans will never forget Rock County’s first state tournament appearance in 2016 when they flooded the Alliant Energy Center with nearly 3,000 fans and seven high school bands. Steurer was the team’s goalie coach at that time.

Beloit athletic director, Dan Gratz praised Steurer for his years behind the bench, “Coach Steurer is a great human who selflessly led our Girls Hockey program to a great deal of success during his tenure. His staff had a great deal of respect for him and together they created a quality experience for all they served. Luke left the program in a great place with a solid young core heading into this transition.”

Like many coaches today, Steurer cited his family as a major reason for stepping away. The demands of coaching high school are so much greater today than at any other time. And while Steurer won’t be behind the Fury bench next season, he will still be at the rink.

“My daughters and family were the big part of my decision,” said Steurer. “I have a six-year-old who started playing hockey this year and a three-year-old. I coached her team so that took up quite a bit of time and then having to miss some of her stuff for high school.” Balancing actual family and hockey family is a strain on every high school coach. More and more good young coaches are finding that challenge takes too much time away from their own families. It is a sacrifice that too often gets taken for granted by parents and players.

“I put a rink in our backyard for the first time and she loves hockey now so both my daughters were out there a lot with our neighbor girls,” Steurer continued. “My three-year-old loved being out there so I'm sure she will be joining Intro to Hockey next year. I want to be able to focus more of my time on them.”  

Thankfully this decision by Luke is coming on his terms. Steurer, who is employed at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce, plans to continue to be involved in the program. The Fury will move from Beloit as the host school to Janesville Parker next season and will play out of the brand new $47 million dollar Mercyhealth Ice Arena in the Woodsman’s Sport and Convention Center in Janesville.

Congratulations and thank you to coach Luke Steurer, a well-liked and respected coach that maybe we can expect to see back behind a high school bench in seven or eight years.

Girls History: Sheehan Moves Into Top Five

Into the off season I will continue to chase down the history of WIAA girls’ hockey. There are still many teams’ stats to be uncovered, but here is what we have accumulated so far. Hayward’s Reese Sheehan’s seventy-point senior season vaulted into fifth place All-Time Points and second place All-Time Assists with 123, twelve behind All-Time Leader Abigail Stow with 135.

Sheehan’s Hurricane teams won seventy-five games in her four years. She played in three sectional finals but never made it to the state tournament. During her career, Section One has been a gauntlet with three of the state’s top five teams Superior, Central Wisconsin and Hayward all fighting for one ticket to the state tournament. Despite averaging nineteen wins over four years, the Hurricanes were unable to get over the hump and get to state. Sheehan ended her great career winning the Ms. Hockey Award and the Siergiej Award for the state’s top forward.

Other notable high scoring careers ending include Superior’s Makaela Reinke, 172 Points, 14th on the All-Time list. Gabi Heuser of the Storm ends her career with 157 points, unofficially tied for 18th place on the All-Time Points list. Heuser put up an impressive forty goals on the season tying Reinke for tops in the state. Bay Areas Emily Bill finished with 137 points and Julianne Bradford with 140 points.

      GIRL’S ALL-TIME POINTS LEADERS

1	Theresa Knutson	Onalaska	395
2	Abigail Stow	ECA	331
3	Anna Wilgren	Hudson	291
4	Reese Sheehan	Hayward	250
5	Markie Ash	Waupaca/WVU	249
6	Hadley Malcolmson	Brookfield	231
7	Madelynn Jablonski	Fox Cities	226
8	McKayla Zillisch	Fox Cities	221
9	Alice Cranston	St. Croix Valley	220
10	Maddie Rowe	St. Croix Valley	218

 

Academic All-State Team

I am so delighted that the GWHCA adopted the idea of an All-Academic Team. I helped start this with the boy’s programs over twenty years ago. It is a fantastic way to recognize the many student/athletes involved in hockey. Thanks to Western Wisconsin’s Chris Lepper for initiating this program.

“I joined the GWHCA this year and brought up things that were being done in Minnesota,” said Lepper, who coached for many years across the border. “Players are student athletes and we needed to start recognizing our athletes for their academic success as well as their athletic.  We all know that most players are not going to play in the PWHL and make a living out of playing hockey, it is their academics that will carry them into their future careers.”

2025 Academic Sectional State Champions

Section 1: Hayward 3.867

Section 2: Black River Falls 3.962

Section 3: Brookfield 3.967 – STATE CHAMPION

Section 4: Cap City Cougars 3.878

Individual Honors:

The criteria for this award is that the student has to be a senior and have an unweighted accumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher.  Their coaches must also be members of the Girls Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association.

St. Croix Valley: Alexis Ralston, Lauren Lindus. Hayward: Reese Sheehan, Gretchen Gajewski. Bay Area: Olympia Simons, Julianne Bradford, Addison Gady, Emily Bill, Claire Gerarden. Black River Falls: Klarissa Canfield, Jordan Berg, Isabella Arne, Shelby King, Alizah Hayes, Payton O’Neill. CFM: Addisyn Buesgen. Coulee Region: Emelia Meives, Hailey Korish, Gianna Sanchez. Eau Claire Area: Lauryn Eckloff, Addison Knaack. Fond du Lac: Allison Waara. Fox Cities: Talia Bellotti, Alexis Process, Ella Merritt. Lakeshore Lightning: Mikeala Vandermeuse, Addison Novack. Rock County: Maizy Fonseca. Western Wisconsin: Olivia Chaves. WI Valley Union: Jenna Jones, Sophie Saunders. Viroqua: Sami Bramstedt, Mateya Kaduc, Emma Brudos. Brookfield: Katie Schwar, Macy Blooming, Ava Baugnet, Emma Lawrence. Superior: Alivia Visger, Kenlyn Thimm. USM: Leia Schaefer, Leah Twente. Cap City Cougars: Simone Dunai, Leah Greiber, Teegan Davis. CWS: Gabriella Heuser, Ava Rode.

On to Nationals

Congratulations to the following Wisconsin girl’s teams heading to USA National Tournaments.

• 14U Tier I - Madison Capitols     Head Coach: Dan Ruoho
• 19U Tier II - Wisconsin Selects     Head Coach: Emily Bauer
• 16U Tier II - Western WEHL     Head Coach: Tim Beres
• 14U Tier II - Western WEHL     Head Coach: Ryan Lindquist
• 18U South West for HS Nationals     Head Coach: Oak Moser
• 18U Western for HS Nationals     Head Coach: Mike DeLong

I watched some excellent Wisconsin female players this past weekend in Glenview, Illinois at the Central District Playoffs. The Capitals 14U and the Admirals 16U teams are ripe with players that would add to the quality and competitiveness of their WIAA teams. It is an argument that will never end when considering which path is the right one to take. It feels like there should be a solution that puts all these players together for the advancement of girl’s hockey in Wisconsin. I saw many teams this past season that were an impact player or two away from challenging the top teams in the state. With the quality of the pre-post teams that are now available, the need to leave your high school teams seems so unnecessary. I have made out the pro-con lists and using my criteria and the realistic end game, the decision to leave or stay doesn’t seem close. Hoping next season, I will see some of these talented young players pulling on the jersey of their high school programs.

Roster Please

I have been suffering enough with the demise of the newspaper. On many occasions this winter I arrived at a game only to find that I can only access a game roster through a QR code. I try to hide my disappointment from the wonderful folks at the table, who always graciously welcome me into the game, but it is challenging. I’m just never going to lose my love for the hard copy. While on the subject, here’s hoping I can get all the coaches on a standard roster template for next year.

Senior Class Tournament

Sadly, there will be no boys or girls Senior Class Tournament this spring. The chaos brought on by WAHA and USA Hockey tournaments, and the popularity of Spring Break and the start of spring sports, have made finding a weekend to hold these two tournaments nearly impossible. It is a shame that a solution cannot be found. It was always a great weekend to wrap up the season with many coaches attending.

The original boy’s tournament was started by Mike Cowan in 1986 and was hosted by Waupun for thirty-seven years. Last season the boys was held in Wisconsin Dells. The girls version, Junior/Senior Class Tournament, hosted by Chippewa Falls, hasn’t been held since 2022.

New Phantom Conference

There may or may not be a new girls conference beginning next season. The Wisconsin Valley Union has left the Eastern Shores and there has been rumors for several years about a new conference. It would, perhaps, consist of CWS, Northland Pines, WVU, Hayward, Medford and Black River Falls. I reached out to all the Athletic Directors of the potential schools and received absolutely no reply from any of them. It appears to be a secret.

The Three Stars Mystery

I must uncover this mystery as the off-season begins. How did we end up with three girl’s teams nicknamed the Stars? Somebody had to be first, which leads to the question of why the other two would choose the same name. Maybe Western Wisconsin can be the West Stars, ECA the North Stars and Fox Cities the East Stars. I am certain there must be a good story behind this somewhere.

University of Georgia Hockey

Andy Smith, who coached Wisconsin high school hockey for sixteen years, is now the head coach of the University of Georgia Lady Ice Dawgs. Smith last coached in Wisconsin with the Arrowhead girl’s program. He is reaching back to his Wisconsin roots to find some players for his current Lady Ice Dawgs team. UGA is holding a Prospects Skate on Saturday, April 12th in Georgia.  

UGA is currently a club sport that plays primarily against ACHA teams and is a member of the College Hockey South Conference. https://www.collegehockeysouth.com/teams

“I loved Wisconsin and grew up playing in De Pere, said Smith. “That's why I want to get the word out we have some good hockey down south and UGA has really invested a lot into the girls program this year.” If interested in UGA Lady Ice Dawgs hockey, you can contact Smith. andrewm22smith@yahoo.com

Or call 262-385-7249.