Wisconsin Prep Hockey -

The rubber match game with a trip to the sectional six finals on the line.  Each team had won on their home ice and Sun Prairie would have the home ice advantage in this game.

Middleton opened the scoring at 11:02 of the first period.  Colin Butler scored with Preston Lewis and Troy Reifsteck assisting on the goal.  Middleton and Sun Prairie continued to apply pressure, but it was Middleton being able to place more shots on goal.  Sun Prairie tied the game with 1:11 remaining in the first, when Alex Kurtz scored with an assist from Josh McCrary.  Bryson Lewis finished the period with 8 saves for Middleton, while Sam Dunn collected 14 saves.

The teams continued to move the puck up and down the ice in the second period.  Sun Prairie had to kill off two penalties in the period and Middleton had to kill off one (they killed off one penalty in the first, too).  Josh McCrary score for Sun Prairie at 15:38 of the second with Conor Mikula being credited with an assist.  Sun Prairie led 2-1 at the end of two periods.  Lewis stopped 8 shots in the period.  Dunn had 10 saves in the period.

Neither team could put another puck in the net during the third period.  Sun Prairie did not make life easy for themselves late in the period.  Sun Prairie was called for a penalty with 5:21 showing on the clock.  They killed off this penalty and clung to their 1 goal lead.  Sun Prairie picked up another penalty with 2:22 remaining in regulation.  Middleton was on the power play, down by one goal and time was running out.  During the power play, Middleton pulled their goaltender and added an extra attacker.  The pressure was being placed on Dunn and the Sun Prairie penalty killing unit.  Sun Prairie killed off the penalty and claimed the victory.  Dunn finished with 37 saves, while Lewis had 22 saves for Middleton.

Late period goals are becoming a way of life for Sun Prairie this post-season.  They had a goal with 1:50 left in the first period of their game with Madison Memorial and two in this game.

Sun Prairie will meet Verona in the sectional six championship game at Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton.  Verona won their two conference meetings this season.