The weekend of May 18^th  through May 20^th found several Wisconsin families traveling to Lombard, Illinois to watch players from several towns,  (Reedsburg; Oregon; Wisconsin Dells; Baraboo; Black River Falls; Sauk City; Viroqua and Eagle River) take on teams from the Chicago area.  The Sauk County United fielded teams for the Midget Major Division and the Midget Minor Division, which represented Wisconsin very well by both playing in their respective championship games.  One of the most impressive parts of playing well in these tournament games was the fact the players learning to play with each other during the games.  They had only two practices within the last 1 1/12 months (both the week prior to the tournament) in which not everyone could make the practices due to other commitments.

Midget Minor – Friday Night

The Sauk County United Midget Minor team played their first game of the tournament on Friday night at 9:50 PM taking on the Huskies.  The Huskies grabbed the lead in the first period as Nicholas Christo was able to find the back of the net with 3:24 remaining.  The United came back to tie the game with 9:11 left in the second period, when Logan Marsich scored with an assist from Ryan Millis.  The game remained tied at 1 at the end of two periods.

The third period found the Huskies with a 5 on 3 power play opportunity with 10:45 left in the game.  The Huskies were able to capitalize with 10 seconds left on the 2 man advantage as Taylor Papesh scored with an assist from Jared Hippman.  The lead was pushed to two as Papesh collected his second goal of the night unassisted.  Millis cut the lead to 1, when he scored with eight seconds remaining in the third.  Huskies win 3-2.

Midget Minor – Saturday Afternoon

Saturday afternoon found Sauk County United taking on the Northern Express.  The United took the lead with 4:22 remaining in the first as Tyler Conroy scored with Austin Schyvinck and Ryan Millis assisting on the play.  The first period came to an end with the score United 1 Express 0.

Sauk County went up by two 3:22 into the second as Dawson Hinz scored with Austin Schyvinck and Ryan Millis being credited with assists.  The Express were able to get back in the game as Flores scored with an assist from Lundgren.  End of two United 2 Express 1.

Ryan Millis scored an unassisted goal with 8:46 remaining in the third giving the United a two goal lead.  The lead was increased to three as Zach Peschl scored a power play goal with Millis and Schyvinck collecting their third assist each on the play.  The Express scored a second goal with 4:11 remaining, but could draw no closer.  Final score United 4 Northern Express 2.

Midget Minor – Saturday Night

The United took on the Barrington Broncos in their third game of the tournament.  This game was dominated by Sauk County and they cruised to a 10-0 win.  The United advanced to the championship game with the victory.

Midget Minor – Championship Game

The championship game was a rematch of the Friday night game.  The Huskies jumpe out to a 2-0 lead within the first 2:25 of the game scoring at 2:10 of the first and again at 2:25 of the period.  Steven Modini brought the United back to within one, when he found the back of the net at 11:35 of the first.  The period came to an end, Huskies 2 United 1.

The second period found the Huskies scoring two more goals to take a 4-1 lead going into the final period.  The United’s Austin Weiser scored a power play goal thirty seconds into the third with Adam Stanton and Austin Schyvinck assisting.  The Huskies scored at 2:11 of the third to increase the lead back to three.  A power play goal at 3:38 by the Huskies salted the game away.  The United weren’t going to quit playing.  Zach Peschl scored a power play goal with an assist from Adam Stanton with 51 seconds remaining.  Ryan Millis completed the scoring with an unassisted goal with 3 seconds left in the game.  Huskies take the championship 6-4.

Midget Major – Friday Night

Sauk County United played the Barrington Broncos in their first game of the tournament at 9:50 PM.  The Broncos’ McVilkers scored the first goal of the game at the 3:33 mark of the first period with an assist from Nehs.  Cortland Maxfield tied the game with 1:20 remaining in the period with an assist from Lief Offerdahl.  The first period ended in a tie Broncos 1 United 1.

Scoring was light in the second period, Eric Zarrilli scored the lone goal with an assist from Brett McCutchin.  The period ended with the United leading 2-1.

The Broncos’ Loy tied the game at 2 with an assist from Lehs with 8:37 remaining in the  game.  The United’s Offerdahl scored the game winner with 38 seconds left in the game with Maxfield and Henry Schellhorn assisting on the play.  Final score – United 3 Broncos 2.

Midget Major – Saturday Afternoon

The United’s second game was against the Hoffman Wolfpack.  The Wolfpack took the early lead, when Oliver Bech-Hansen found a loose puck in front of the net and placed it in the back of the net 12 seconds into the game.  Cortland Maxfield tied the game ten seconds later.  Jesse Greenwood gave the United the lead with an assist from Henry Schellhorn at the 9:40 mark of the first period.  Twenty-eight seconds later Johnathon Arnaud scored with an assist from Cortland Maxfield.  The first period ended with score United 3 Wolfpack 1.

Eric Zarrilli scored with an assist from Matt Olson giving the United a 4-1 lead with 10:50 remaining in the second period.  The Wolfpack’s Brian Sanzone scored with an assist from Brad Krauser to make the score 4-2 at the end of the second period.

Brett McCutchin increased the lead to three with an assist from Henry Schellhorn at 7:02 of the third period.  Arnaud completed the scoring for the game with Jesse Greenwood assisting on the play with 40 seconds left on the clock.  Final score United 6 Wolfpack 2.

Midget Major – Saturday Night

The third game of the tournament for the United found them taking on the Cyclones at 10:00 PM on Saturday night.  The United dominated this game from the start.  Matt Olson opened the scoring with an assist from Jesse Greenwood at 1:36 of the first period.  Lief Offerdahl increased the lead to two at the 2:30 mark with an assist from Johnathon Arnaud and Cortland Maxfield.  Twenty-one seconds later, Jesse Greenwood scored with an assist from Brett McCutchin.  McCutchin scored a goal with 7:33 showing on the clock with an assist from Henry Schellhorn.  Ryan Fitzsimmons gave the United a five goal lead in the first period with an unassisted goal with 3:06 left in the first.  The Greenwood/McCutchin worked again with 2:38 on the clock to complete the first period scoring with the score United 6 Cyclones 0.

Coach Hebeisen reined in the troops in the second period.  However, the United’s Cortland Maxfield scored 22 seconds into the period with an assist from Eric Zarrilli.  Henry Schellhorn completed the scoring for the game with Matt Olson and Zarrilli assisting on the play with 9:59 left in the second period.  The United spent the rest of the game dumping the puck and concentrating on limiting shots on Tyler Arneson in net.

Midget Major – Sunday Morning Semifinal Game

Sunday morning the United were taking on the Midwest Maniax in a semi-final game.  The game started out with both teams feeling each other out and taking advantage of their speed to put pressure on each other’s goalie.  The first period ended in a 0-0 tie.

The United took over in the second and would not look back.  Johnathon Arnaud opened the scoring with a beautiful give and go with Matt Olson at 2:22 of the first period.  Twenty seconds later Matt Olson scored with Arnaud and Henry Schellhorn assisting on the play.  The United lead jumped to three with 7:32 on the clock, when Jesse Greenwood scored with an assist from Lief Offerdahl and Arnaud.  Eric Zarrilli completed the scoring in the second period with an unassisted goal with 2:29 remaining in the period.  End of two United 4 Maniax 0.

Matt Olson scored the only goal of the third period with an assist from Brett McCutchin with 4:50 remaining in the game.  Final score – United 5 Maniax 0.

Midget Major – Championship Game

The championship game was a rematch between the Wolfpack and the United.  Cortland Maxfield opened the scoring with Johnathon Arnaud and Lief Offerdahl assisting on the play at the 1:46 mark of the first period.  Maxfield increased the lead to two with an assist from Brett McCutchin at 4:16 of the period.  The United scored again with 2:58 left in the first on a goal by Arnaud with Jesse Greenwood assisting on the play.  The first period came to an end with a score of United 3 Wolfpack 0.

The United’s Jesse Greenwood scored at 7:36 of the second period with an assist from Arnaud and Ryan Fitzsimmons.  Lief Offerdahl scored with an assist from Cortland Maxfield and Brett McCutchin at 6:25 of the second period.  Offerdahl completed the scoring with an assist from Eric Zarrilli with 58 seconds remaining in the second period.

The final score in the game United 6 Wolfpack 0.

Tyler Arneson completed the weekend having allowed four goal in five games in net for the United major team.  The final three games of the tournament were shutouts.