By the time the weekend was over, the exploits of a certain Wisconsin football team obscured the accomplishment, but for members of the RWD varsity hockey team, this past Friday’s game will be remembered for some time.

Now, officially, there is still one more mile to travel with Friday’s game at home against DeForest, but the 3-2 win over Waunakee Warriors at the new Waunakee "Ice Pond" earned RWD at least a share of the Badger North Conference championship.

Emotions were high afterward as members of the hockey team, made up of players from Reedsburg and Wisconsin Dells high schools celebrated its first joint conference title.

For many of the Reedsburg contingent, the victory gives them a chance at one more celebration while for the Dells’s crew, it’s the first journey to the top of the conference heap and the school’s first Badger North Conference title in any sport.

The Cheavers can take the title outright with a win at home in its season finale Friday at the Poppy Waterman Ice Arena against DeForest Norskies.

Co-head coach Jeremy Klosowski said the team followed the game plan to perfection.

"I thought we came out to play tonight, I mean that first period was probably the best period I’ve ever seen these guys play. They did exactly what we asked them to do. They forced the puck and they eliminated Waunakee’s space," he said. "We are extremely proud of our boys. They came out here with a passion and desire for one thing and one thing only – a conference championship."

For senior center Ryan Theiler, a three sport athlete that has seen some great moments, winning his first ever conference title is something he won’t soon forget.

"It’s a great feeling," said Theiler afterwards. "It’s hard to explain it in words, but it’s a great feeling. It’s like, watching the Stanley Cup finals. Now I know what they feel like somewhat. I’ve never been a conference champion in any sport, so, it’s a good feeling."

Every time the Cheavers face Waunakee, it seems goaltending plays such a huge role, and this was Shane Moilanen’s night for sure. "I can’t speak enough about Shane right now," said Theiler. "He’s just playing great, and he can lead us into the playoffs because he’s ready for the playoffs for sure."

Moilanen was clearly happy with the win and he believed it was a full team effort.

"I’m really happy. We’ve really come together well as a team now near the end of the season, going into the playoffs. I think this is a great experience for us," he said.

While RWD held the edge in shots overall, Moilanen was called on to make some huge stops, in particular late in the contest when a desperate Waunakee came at RWD hard. The senior goaltender looked calm in goal, but admitted with a chuckle afterward, that might have been a little misleading.

"I tried to look that way, but on the inside, I was really nervous," said Moilanen, adding, "I was counting down the minutes, like, come on guys, get it out of the zone, but it was a lot of fun out there at the same time and I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything."

Starting out with what had to be the team’s prettiest goal of the season, RWD carried a well deserved 1-0 cushion out of the opening period.

The first goal came about two minutes after Luke Bjorklund was denied on a chance so glorious that RWD fans were on their feet cheering, believing he had just scored.

Clearly unaffected by that frustration, Bjorklund teamed up with senior defender Josh Krueger in the final minute, finishing off a 3-on-1 break with a perfect conversion of a nice, but difficult, pass from Krueger.

In order to clear the lumber of the defender, Krueger needed the pass to be off the ice. Somehow, Bjorklund knocked it in out of the air and into a tiny opening between the goaltender’s pad and the far post.

Waunakee tied the score with just 2:26 to go in the second, but that triggered a flurry from RWD.

First, it was Bjorklund returning the favor to Krueger, making a pass from behind the net.

Krueger was denied the first time, then slipped his second chance in along the ice. That goal came just over a minute after the Warriors’ tying marker.

The third goal came with just 46 seconds left in the period and two Waunakee players in the sin bin.

Bjorklund found himself in his favorite spot, the high slot, and he ripped a shot to the top shelf with such speed the Waunakee goaltender never moved on it.

From there, it was Moilanen who stepped up, as he has done so many times before, denying a persistent Waunakee team until it was practically too late to matter.