Playing their fourth game in just over twenty-four hours, Wisconsin found itself trailing the Glenview Stars 1-0. With an earlier goal waived off and a certain penalty shot not awarded, it looked like the Selects would suffer their first loss of the season. That changed, with Kennedy Kohlman on the bench for an extra attacker and the clock heading toward single digits. Senior Eleanor Adams came to the rescue, collecting a rebound just outside the crease and burying it to tie the game with ten seconds remaining. It completed a 3-0-1 weekend for the Selects, who are now 15-0-3 on the season.

“Fatigue was definitely a factor in the last game,” admitted head coach Dan Bauer. “We had a short bench and didn’t have our normal jump, but the girls battled and found a way to get it tied.”

The Selects will now head to Deforest in two weeks for their best of three game showdown with Badger City in the WAHA State Playoff. Badger City is currently ranked 6th in the national poll with a record of 18-5-1, ahead of Wisconsin, who comes in at 7th. “It should be a great series,” said Bauer. “We haven’t played them this season, but our games in the past have been highly competitive.” The teams were scheduled to play back in September, but Chippewa Falls had ice issues, and the games had to be canceled.

Wisconsin Selects 5  Superior Ice Breakers 1

Wisconsin opened the weekend at Marinette with a pair of games against the Superior Ice Breakers from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Colby Sprenger’s first period powerplay goal, from her knees, jumped the Selects out to a 1-0 lead. The Ice Breakers would tie it early in period two on a broken 2 on 1 play that ended up in the Selects net. Wisconsin took a 2-1 lead after two periods to the lockeroom on a goal by Izzy Johnson. Defenseman Kayla Dogs started the play with a breakout pass to Reese Duncan in the neutral zone. Duncan shoveled a perfect backhand pass to Johnson who dangled the Superior defenseman and beat goaltender Oni Heinzel over the blocker.

Three third period goals put the finishing touches on a 5-1 win. Liela Reed taped a pass to Reese Duncan who streaked down the left wing, lasering a wrist shot past Heinzel for her fifth goal of the season. Morgan Kivel set up Kayla Dogs on a backdoor pass on the powerplay to make it 4-1. Abby Elliott finished the scoring converting a beautiful 2 on 1 feed from Dana Jacobson. Sierra Andert recorded her eighth win of the season stopping 16 shots.

Wisconsin Selects 9  Superior Ice Breakers 1

Game two featured more Selects offense as Sprenger, Morgan Kivel and Annika Olinski each scored a pair of goals in a lopsided 9-1 win. Sprenger and Olinski each scored on the powerplay and for Kivel it was her team leading 12th and 13th goals. Baylie Schuh, Duncan and Jacobson all scored for Wisconsin who outshot the Ice Breakers 40-14. Defenseman Brenna Rogers handed out three assists and Dogs, Izzy and Sophia Johnson each contributed two assists. Kennedy Kohlman faced fourteen shots in the Selects net allowing only her second goal in five games this season.   The Selects powerplay went four for five on the day raising their powerplay efficiency to 29% on the season.

“Games like these are challenging from a coaching standpoint,” Bauer confessed. “I have probably been on the other side of it more often, so I know emotions can get high. A credit to the Superior coaches and players who were very respectful and sportsmanlike in the handshake line.”

Wisconsin Selects 3  Glenview Stars  1

The action moved to Waupun on Sunday as the Selects tangled with perennial Central District foe the Glenview Stars. A year ago, the Stars captured the Central District with a 1-0 win over Wisconsin in the title game. A scoreless first period saw the Selects narrowly outshoot the Stars 11-8. Sierra Andert shutdown Stars forward Molly Nicoll on a chance from the harsh marks and with the help of Chloe Katsma stopped the ensuing rebound late in the period.

Wisconsin generated some momentum opening the second period while playing shorthanded. Morgan Kivel pressured the Stars into a defensive zone turnover and got in alone on goaltender Sophia LeClair. Kivel stretched across the top of the crease, but LeClair stayed with her and kept the game scoreless. Wisconsin maintained the pressure throughout the period peppering LeClair with thirteen shots. Finally, at 13:19 of the period Chloe Katsma converted a pass from Eleanor Adams to put Wisconsin up 1-0.

“Eleanor has been playing great, using her long reach and puck protection to create offensive chances for us,” said Bauer. Two minutes later the Selects lead went to 2-0 when Ava Kligora punched a rebound past LeClair. Brenna Roger’s shot set up the goal with only forty-two seconds remaining.

Trailing 2-0, Glenview came out pushing the pace in the final period. Wisconsin took advantage of their aggressiveness when Katsma and Kligora worked a puck free along the wall and found Kivel open in the neutral zone. Kivel undressed the lone Stars defenseman and did what she does best—score. “Another nice play by Ava, finding Morgan, and of course Morgan, when she gets in alone, she rarely misses,” stated Bauer. “Our ability to apply pressure, win battles and share the puck have been the keys to our success this season,” he added.

With thirty-four seconds remaining, Kivel was sent to the box on a questionable body check in the neutral zone. Andert lost her shutout with eleven seconds remaining on a difficult redirect by Carolyn Bomely, who knocked the puck down and bounced it past her. It was the first powerplay goal the Selects have allowed this season. Andert turned in twenty-two saves earning her ninth win. The Western Wisconsin senior is 9-0-1 with a 1.36 GAA.

Wisconsin Selects 1  Glenview Stars  1

Wisconsin’s last game of the weekend came with a short bench and some tired legs. It was a dead even scoreless first period with each team landing seven shots on goal. The game was marked by a pair of controversial calls that went against the Selects. The first came with about four minutes left in the opening period. It appeared that Morgan Kivel had drawn a penalty shot off a breakaway opportunity.  The official ruled a two-minute minor instead. “It was clearly worthy of a penalty shot,” said Bauer, “and with Morgan taking it, I like our chances of taking a 1-0 lead.”

Glenview began to turn the ice in their favor in period two and struck first on a goal by Zofia Orlowska. Kohlman stopped a pair of shots, but Orlowska got a third chance and found the back of the net to give Glenview a 1-0 lead. “We got caught standing still and watching in front of our net,” Bauer explained. “You can’t give teams that many good looks at the net.”

With nine minutes to play, it appeared that Brenna Rogers had tied the game on a shot from the point with a crowded net front and goalie Casey Stockbridge sitting inside the net. Selects forward Colby Sprenger had been pushed into and inside the net by a defenseman and was lying on the ice when the puck was shot in. The rules states that if a player is pushed in by a defensive player, the goal is allowed. However, the officials ruled no goal immediately. While Bauer complimented the young officials calm and poise in addressing his calls, he believes in both cases the officials’ interpretation of the rule was wrong.

“I don’t have the rule book memorized,” admitted Bauer, “and that is on me. If it is a judgement call there isn’t much to argue, we see the play from different vantage points. This was a misinterpretation of the rule and that shouldn’t happen. I don’t normally yell at officials, they have a tough job. He seemed to be a fairly young official, and we need young officials to stay in the game, so hopefully it is a lesson learned for both of us.”

“Overall, a good weekend for us,” said Bauer. “We had a lot of contributions up and down the line-up, with three players getting their first goals of the season. Our scoring has been very balanced.”

Photo Credits: Sonja Adams and Megan Smith