The Eau Claire/Altoona Stars ended the Bay Area Ice Bears 47 game win streak against Wisconsin opponents with a 2-1 upset win in De Pere on Saturday afternoon. Evie Pritzl turned in a magnificent 50 save performance and ECA got a goal from Molly Wright and a shorthander from Aubee Wolle. “Evie played outstanding in goal, and the team backed her up with grit and determination and that made a difference,” said ECA head coach Bob Stow. “We really tried to pay attention to the little things, win the battles, disrupt their play, and get the puck to the net. We hope to build on this as we get ready to start playoffs soon.” The Stars are 13-7-1, but have struggled a bit lately going 5-4 in their last nine games.

Bears head coach Mike Buchan congratulated the Stars, “Hats off to Eau Claire on a game well played,” he said. “They had a tough game against Fond du Lac the night before and flipped the script against us. We had 51 shots on net with some really good quality looks and their goalie shut the door.”

Buchan hopes his team will use the loss as motivation as the playoffs approach, “I think for us we don't have time to dwell on the loss.  We have a tough week this week with three games against good opponents and our hope is to take what happened against Eau Claire and use it as motivation.  We are a good group with a lot of great kids on the team, and I know they will respond.”

It was a tough week at the top of the poll, as Western Wisconsin dropped two games and has now lost four straight slipping to within one game of .500 at 11-10. The Fusion averted the upset bug and has won seven straight. Lakeshore won their 17th game, the most in program history and sits at 17-5. Black River Falls has quietly won six of seven, but faces a Storm team on Tuesday that has won four of five in a game that will likely determine the first Wisconsin Valley Conference title.

Hudson has played in a bunch of tight games this season and is starting to win some of them getting two huge victories over Western Wisconsin and Hayward last week. Fond du Lac played in their ninth overtime, USM is 4-1-1 in their last six and Fox Cities put up three wins last week to move to 12-6.

Key Girl’s matchups this week:

• Tue—BR Falls @ CW Storm, WW @ Hudson, Bay Area @ Fox Cities.  
• Wed—CW Storm @ Superior
• Thurs—Fondy @ Bay Area.
• Friday—CW Storm @ St. Croix Valley, Fox Cities @ Fondy.
• Sat—CW Storm @ Hudson.

WiPH Girl’s Game of the Week: Friday—Arrowhead @ USM

Seeding Meetings on Sunday

This is the last week for teams to make their case for where they will be seeded. After Saturday’s games the coaches will all meet Sunday, via the internet and decide the seeding for each section. There will be some interesting meetings for sure.

Section One:

It remains a three-team race for the top spot with the Storm (11-5-1) emerging as the favorite. They have a monster week ahead of them with a home game vs Black River Falls, followed by three road games on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at Superior, St. Croix Valley, and Hudson. That’s 800 miles, and three games in 70 hours. A Superior win over CWS could change everything as they already own a 4-3 win over the Storm. Hayward (8-10-2) and Superior (8-10) have hit tough stretches and will likely fight for the second spot. They split their two games with each other, Hayward winning 1-0 and Superior winning 3-2 in overtime. Remember the top two seeds get a bye in this section because there are only six teams.

WVU’s (10-8) youth continue to mature, there offense has come alive and they feel like a team destined to pull off a playoff upset. They will be fourth with Northland Pines (5-9-1) fifth and Medford (0-14) sixth.

Section Two:

This will be the Rubik’s cube of sectionals complete with spreadsheets, flow charts and computer rankings. The Fusion (16-4) would appear to have the inside track with their only losses in the section to Western Wisconsin (11-10) and Black River Falls (14-6-1). They have also beaten the Stars. Then it gets complicated. Records against sectional opponents are: Fusion (6-2), WW (5-3), ECA (4-3), BRF (3-3). Eau Claire/Altoona (13-7-1) will bring the clout of a win over Bay Area along with a 3-2 loss to the defending state champs. Western Wisconsin has arguably played the toughest schedule. My guess is 1-St. Croix, 2-ECA, 3-WW, 4-BRF. ECA’s win over Bay Area trumps Western’s schedule and WW’s win over the Tiger’s, even though it was the first week of the season, and their strength of schedule pushes the Western Stars to third. But honestly I could see 2,3,4 in any order, it’s that close.

Hudson (8-12) won’t likely be able to climb very high, but they will be a very dangerous team in the playoffs. Their play of late should be a concern to the rest. CFM (9-9-1) possesses the same danger and with their 2-1 win over Hudson will likely nab the fifth seed. Coulee Region (3-14-2) finds itself locked in at seven.

Section Three:

I would guess only Bay Area (18-2), as of right now, has secured the number one seed, and they have a tough week ahead with games against Fox Cities and Fondy. Lakeshore (17-5) will get challenged for the second seed, with a 7-5 section record working against those 17 wins. USM (11-8-1) may have a solid case for that two spot with two wins over the Lightning and a 7-3 section record. The Wildcats only losses in the section are to Bay Area twice and a 4-3 decision to Fondy. The Warbirds (10-6-4) are a few timely goals away from being 14-6, having played in nine overtime games, four of them ending in 1-1 ties. Fox Cities (12-6) has gone 10-3 since their 2-3 start and has too much talent to be anything other than dangerous in the playoffs. Their 1-0 win over Fondy may be what it takes to gain the fourth seed.

Arrowhead (6-13-1) defeated Brookfield (3-17) twice during the season 3-2 and 4-1, will be the sixth seed.

Section Four:

Beaver Dam (12-6-1) and Cap City (12-6-1) have separated from the pack but remain tied tightly together in the battle for the top seed. They split their head-to-head games with Beaver Dam winning 4-1 and Cap City getting a recent 5-4 OT win. A look at their losses may give a slight advantage to the Beavers. Beaver Dam has lost to Top Six teams, Bay Area, ECA and Lakeshore, while Cap City has not played any Top Six teams. The Cougars loss to Janesville 3-0, while the Beavers own a 4-2 win, will carry some weight. Cap City tied the Warbirds, while the Beavers dropped their game to Fondy 5-3.

Janesville (7-10-2) has been playing much improved as of late going 7-2-1. They should secure the third seed followed by the Metro Lynx (6-10) at four. I give the Icebergs (5-9-4) the nod over Badger Lightning (4-11-2) for five seed even though they tied twice during the season. That leaves the seventh seed for Viroqua (1-15).

The ’26 List – Kayla Dogs, Fond du Lac

College coaches are always looking for those “diamonds in the rough” players through their recruiting process. When it comes to finding defensemen, it can be even more difficult, because they often do not shine offensively and draw a lot of attention. Fond du Lac Warbird’s defenseman Kayla Dogs checks all those boxes and is quietly one of the state’s top defenders.

Really solid defensive defensemen are often the invisible members of successful teams. When goalies are great or awful they are always noticeable. And offensive talents, they stop the game and turn on the red light and often embarrass poor defensemen. Defensemen like Dogs do all the little things right. They deliver accurate breakout passes, disrupt the rush, push the offense to the outside, block shots, and win board battles.

Warbirds head coach Lindsay Lewison shared her admiration for Dogs, “Her mature playing style has greatly contributed to the development of our younger defensemen.” The Sheboygan North senior has been a captain for the Warbirds the past two seasons. “Her leadership has been instrumental to the team,” stated Lewison. “She excels at motivating herself and her teammates both on and off the ice.”

Dogs’ stats will not blow you away, but her work ethic, grit and tenacity will grab your attention. Her Fond du Lac teams have gone 61-31-4 during her four years. As a junior they played in the sectional final, losing to the eventual state champion Bay Area Ice Bears 3-1. Dogs has modest offensive career numbers, 12 goals and 18 assists, but her impact on the blue line has been significant.

In 2024 she was a member of the National Champion Wisconsin Selects 19U team. As an assistant coach of that team, I can tell you she was a pivotal piece of the puzzle. Kayla played forward and defense for us and scored the first goal, which turned out to be the game winner, in our 3-0 championship game win over the East Coast Wizards. Kayla was our Swiss Army knife, playing wherever we needed her. She was the epitome of a great teammate.

Next fall Dogs will become a Spartan on the campus of Aurora University where she will pursue degrees in criminal justice and psychology. Aurora head coach Mandy Montgomery is excited about landing another Badger. “We have a few former Wisconsin high school players on our current roster who are very successful and we are excited to add to that group,” she offered. “Kayla understands the game well, has a strong skillset and vision on the ice. She is a highly versatile player and will help our team on both sides of the puck. Her character and leadership will be a welcome addition to our locker room as well.” Currently, Wisconsin products, Jillian Bilsborough (Lakeshore), and Payton Dykstra and Macy Blooming (Brookfield) play at Aurora.

“Aurora University is very fortunate to have Kayla joining the team next fall,” said Lewison.

Coaches don’t forget to vote on the Top Six Polls and send your nominations for Player of the Week. POTW nominations should be sent by 3pm on Mondays.

Girl’s Top Six Games

Lakeshore 3  Arrowhead 0: After successive losses to Bay Area and USM, the Lightning bounced back in a big way pelting Warhawks goaltender Kennedy Bostrom with 54 shots in a 3-0 win on Tuesday. Lakeshore’s powerplay went 2 for 2 with both goals scored by Kennedi Bystol, her 13th and 14th of the season. Bystol also assisted on the other Lightning goal. Elizabeth Bowers registered her seventh shutout of the season, one behind state leader Reese Spiering with eight.

ECA 2  CFM 1 (2-OT): Molly Wright’s 15th goal of the year sent the Stars home with a 2-1 double overtime win over their Chippewa Falls/Menomonie rivals. It was Wright’s third game winning goal and the third straight 2-1 game for the Sabers who lost for just the second time in their last eight games. ECA advanced their record to 12-6-1. Aubrie Dowd has 22 saves for CFM and Evie Pritzl 29 for ECA.

St. Croix Valley 2  Hayward 0: Hurricanes senior goalie Makenna Hutchison has needed to be near perfect this season to earn a win. She has been on the wrong end of the scoreboard eight times this season. In those eight losses, and add in two ties, her team has scored a total of 12 goals in ten games. In her eight wins, six have been shutouts. Tuesday night in Barron was a repeat as the Hurricanes fell short, 2-0 to the Fusion. Jane Volgren scored a powerplay goal at 1:15 of the third, and Morgan Kivel hit the empty net, sealing another tough luck loss for Hutchison and her teammates. The senior and 1st Team All-State selection from a year ago is once again putting up great numbers with a 1.44 GAA (5th) and a 94.9 S% (3rd). Those are numbers that will earn her strong consideration for Miss Hockey 2026. Hutchison announced this week that she will play for St. Norbert College next fall.

BRF 3  WVU 2: Black River’s suffocating defense was on display as they held the Union to nine shots on goal in a tight 3-2 win in Wisconsin Rapids. Ellie Czaikowski gave WVU a 1-0 lead in the first with her 8th goal of the season. Brogan Baird tied it at 1:37 of the second, but the Union went up 2-1 on a goal by Evelyn Fleming. The Tigers answered on Reanne Long’s goal to send the game tied 2-2 in the third period. On the powerplay, Baird put home the game winner, her 11th, to close the door. WVU’s Kylin Wright came up short of the win with a 31 save performance.

St. Croix Valley 5  Hudson 3: The Fusion needed three third period goals to finally escape with a 5-3 win over Hudson. Eleanor Adams opened the scoring with a powerplay goal for the Fusion and sealed the win with an empty net goal. Laura Johnson scored twice for Hudson and has seven goals in the last five games. Morgan Kivel recorded her 14th goal for the Fusion.

Black River Falls 4  Rochester Mayo 0: The Tigers Ally Ritter scored 37 seconds into the contest and they never looked back as they shutout the Spartans 4-0 in Rochester. Alexa Lowe tallied a pair of second period goals for Black River and Jordyn King netted a third period goal. The Tigers outshot the Spartans 34-11.

Park/Cottage Grove, MN 3  Western Wisconsin 2: Cottage Grove scored twice on the powerplay and once shorthanded as they handed the Stars their third straight defeat. Western got goals from Chloe Julson and Sophia Johnson. Sierra Andert and Stella Olson combined for 32 saves for the Stars.

Bay Area 7  CFM 1: Bay Area dominated the Sabers 7-1 on Senior Night at Cornerstone on Friday night. Addison Dahl and Madison Engles popped a pair of goals each and Reese Spiering and Kade Kitchenmaster combined for 15 saves. The Ice Bears led 1-0 after one period, then erupted for six in the second to cruise past the Sabers. Aubrie Dowd started in net for CFM and Cameron Fedie relieved her in the third period, together they made 25 saves.  

Hudson 4  Western Wisconsin 3: Don’t look now, but the Hudson Raiders have pushed themselves into the conversation in section two. The Raiders pulled off a 4-3 upset of the suddenly floundering Stars with great performances from Marley Larson, two powerplay goals and an assist, Laura Johnson, two goals and an assist, and a four-assist night from Juliana Cahoon. Larson scored both her powerplay goals in period one to open up a 2-0 lead for Hudson. Her second was an Ovechkin-like one-timer from the weakside dot. It was all Johnsons from then until the end of the game as Western’s Izzy Johnson scored twice to tie it and Hudson’s Laura Johnson scored twice to put the Raiders back on top by two. Gabby Thomsen brought the Stars to within a goal with two minutes to play.

If you look at Hudson’s last six games against very strong opponents, they have been right there in every game: #3 Lakeshore lost 3-1, #6 ECA lost 3-0 outshot them 32-22, Mounds View, MN lost 3-2 OT, CFM lost 2-1 outshot them 30-21, Winona lost 3-2 OT outshot them 49-11, #2 St. Croix Valley lost 5-3 with empty net goal. It is the right time of the year to start putting it all together and the Raiders seem to be on that path.

“Lately we have been focusing on the simple things like our breakout and our defensive play,” Hudson head coach Matt Szypura explained. “While doing this we found our identity and they have really bought into simple, hardworking hockey. We just focus on getting a little better every day. I always say: you don’t lose, you learn.” 

Fond du Lac 2  ECA  0: Marisa Youngwirth and Brenalyn Goetz scored twenty-seven seconds apart in the second period to give the Warbirds a 2-0 win over #6 ranked Eau Claire/Altoona. Fond du Lac continues to be one of the state’s best defensive teams allowing 1.63 goals per game, the 6th best average. Senior goalie Emma Jilling got the start for the Warbirds on Senior Night. Her shift was short as Kennedy Kohlman quickly replaced her and went on to complete the shutout with 20 saves.

St. Croix Valley 3  Superior 1: Lily Mittl’s second goal of the game at 4:05 of the third period broke a 1-1 tie and propelled the Fusion to a 3-1 win over The Spartans. Mittl has scored eight goals in her last eight games as St. Croix improved to 16-4 with their seventh straight win. The Spartans have lost five of their last six and sit at 8-10 for the year. Katelyn Gustafson, has allowed just seven goals in her last sevens games for St. Croix.

ECA 2  Bay Area 1: The Eau Claire/Altoona Stars pulled off the upset of the season, riding the 50 save effort of Evie Pritzl to defeat #1 ranked Bay Area 2-1 in De Pere. It was Bay Area’s first loss to a Wisconsin team since the 2024 championship game loss to Central Wisconsin, 47 games ago. Molly Wright got the Stars the lead with a first period goal and Aubee Wolle made it 2-0 early in period two. Faye Brunke’s 13th goal made it 2-1, but Pritzl turned in a perfect third period with 18 saves.

Lakeshore 3  Beaver Dam 2: The Lightning struck with three straight goals in the second period to erase the Beavers 1-0 lead on their way to a 3-2 win. Rachel Donovan tied it at 3:11 and Kennedi Bystol scored her 15th and 16th goals to lock up the victory. It was the Lightnings 17th win of the season, a new program record.

Around the State

USM 3  Brookfield 2: A second period powerplay by Zoe Adelman snapped a 2-2 tie and pushed the Wildcats past Arrowhead 3-2 in an Eastern Shores Conference clash. Sophomore Maggie Johnson improved to 5-1 in her sixth start, turning aside 28 shots. Brookfield’s Georgianna Janet made 37 saves.

Proctor 4  Superior 0: The Mirage got a 12 save shutout from Suri Langley as they defeated the Spartans 4-0. Superior has lost four of their last five and is 3-6 since the injury to goalie Evie Jenkins.

Janesville 7  Viroqua 2: Macy Murphy’s hat trick led the Bluebirds over the Blackhawks 7-2 in Viroqua on Tuesday. Janesville outshot Viroqua 38-15. Freshman Penelope Ugo scored her 4th goal for Viroqua and teammate Adey Oliver stopped 31 shots. The Bluebirds stayed hot with a record of 6-2-1 in their last nine games.

Rochester Mayo 5  Coulee Region 3: Mayo opened up a 4-0 lead in the second period, but the Cyclones whirled back into the game with three straight goals of their own. Sydney Cichosz, Julia Hendrickson and Ellie Hoehn all scored second period goals to close the gap to 4-3. Rochester scored in the final minute to make it 5-3.

Metro Lynx 6 Badger Lightning 3: The Metro Lynx used three third period goals to turn a 3-2 lead into a 6-3 win over the Lightning. Scout Elmer posted three assists to pace the Lynx win. Addy Buzzell needed only 22 saves to secure the win, while Olivia Rennenberg stopped 41 for the Lightning.

Fox Cities 1  Fond du Lac 0: Fox Cities held the Warbirds to 13 shots on goal and got the games only goal from Abby Thompson, her first high school goal, to eek out a 1-0 home victory. Teagan Wilkins posted her third shutout for the Stars and Kennedy Kohlman took the loss despite 24 saves. For Kohlman, it was her 11th game of allowing one or less. In those games the Warbirds are 6-2-3.

CW Storm 3  Hayward 2: This was a make-up game from an earlier postponement and was played at the Spooner Civic Center. Olivia Webster put the Canes up 1-0 at 2:41 of the opening period. CWS freshman Grace du Vair earned her first varsity goal on a pressure packed penalty shot to tie the game. Jayden Yirkovsky’s 12th and 13th goals of the season put the Storm up 3-1 in period two. Colby Sprenger got the Hurricanes to within one, but Cami Flohr closed the door to preserve the win. Flohr finished with 27 saves, Makenna Hutchison 23 for Hayward. The Hurricanes have lost four in a row, and the Storm at 11-5-1 is beginning to look like the favorite once again in section one.

Stoughton 0  Badger Lightning 0 (2-OT): The Lightning and the Icebergs skated to a 0-0 double overtime stalemate at the Mandt Community Center on Friday. Stoughton’s Anika Mueller turned in 27 saves and Olivia Renneberg 32 for the Lightning as they each recorded their second shutout of the season.

Fox Cities 6  Cap City 4: The Stars welcomed the Cougars to Tri-County Ice Arena with three first period goals to put Cap City in a hole they could never quite crawl out of. Fox Cities Evie Mursau (3G – 3A) and Margaret Thomas (3G – 1A) lead the way. The Cougars closed the lead to 3-2 and 4-3 and 5-4, but couldn’t get the equalizer. Penny Loeffelholz had two goals, one shorthanded and an assist for Cap City.

WVU 3  Coulee Region 2: Grace Johnsrude’s strong 37 save performance wasn’t enough as the Union grabbed a 3-2 road win in West Salem. Molly Fox, Lily Cichy and Ellie Czaikowski all lit the lamp for WVU. Maycee Marson scored her first goal of the season on the powerplay to bring the Cyclones within a goal with eight minutes to play. Issie Wojcik made her first start in net since a December injury for WVU, making 23 saves.

WVU 5  CFM 2: Ellie Czaikowski netted her first high school hat track leading the Union past Chippewa Falls/Menomonie 5-2. The SPASH sophomore has 12 goals on the season. Lily Cichy chipped in two goals and an assist and Campbell Spees two assists. WVU is 10-8 and the Sabers fall to 9-9-1.