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Team Wisconsin Upended

By Bill Berg, 03/20/11, 7:14PM CDT

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Only Tier I Wisconsin team advancing to Nationals is not named TW.

It was not a good day to be a Team Wisconsin fan on Sunday.  Four teams – U14 boys and girls, and U16 boys and girls – had chances to advance with wins on Sunday. Each came up short. The only Wisconsin team to win on Sunday did not wear the red and white of Team Wisconsin.

The U16 girls were up first early Sunday morning with Emily Wigdale (USM) in net.  TW gave up two power play goals in the first period to the Chicago Mission. The Mission added an even-strength goal in the second period to claim a three-goal lead. With 11 minutes left in the second, TW started their comeback with a power play goal of their own. Team Wisconsin pulled to within one goal in the third period. They pulled their goalie late, but were killing a penalty at the time, so it only made it five-on-five. The empty net goal made the final score 4-2, Mission.

Next up was the U14 Bantams, also against the Mission. The teams had played each other four times in the “pre”-season, and had three one-goal games and an 11-0 Mission victory. Coach John Parker said the team “had some issues that day. I think the kids learned some life lessons that day,” he added with a slight grin. “Things just sort of unraveled.” 

For the Sunday rematch TW was starting Saturday’s goalie, Ryan Wischow. Coach Parker was sticking with the “hot hand.” The Mission got on the board first with a power play goal, but TW tied it up late on a power play of their own. Matt Berkovitz fired a shot from the blue line and the rebound came to Brett Gruber who fired a slapshot through the goalie's leg pads.  TW grabbed a short lead when Zed Dietrich scored on a wrap-around in the second period.

The Mission answered back with two goals of their own before TW tied it up with 10:19 left in the game.  Mason Appleton carried the puck up the right side and in deep, then passed out front to Dietrich whose wrist shot got past the goalie. It stayed tied until 3:30 left when the Mission scored on a rebound to finish the scoring at 4-3.

The Midget Minors (U16) were next up against a very powerful Team Illinois. TI scored first just seconds after a TW penalty expired, but before the skater could get back to help out the penalty killers.  Wisconsin had been on the attack early in the period, but after the goal, momentum switched to the Illinois side and only some outstanding play from TW goalie Chris Nell kept it at 1-0.

TI scored a second goal late in the second period on an odd-man rush up the ice, they were able to work the puck in close and flip it into the top of the net. Team Wisconsin put the puck into the Illinois net twice in the third period, but they didn’t count. On the first one, there was a delayed penalty coming up, so as soon as Wisconsin hit the puck, the play was dead. The penalty was for shoving the goalie into the back of the net (see picture above). The second time was a rebound of a shot off a face-off. The shot hit the goalie and bounced straight up, where Joe Llaurado swatted it into the net. The only problem was the height of his stick above the cross bar. Illinois added an empty net for a 3-0 final.  Team Illinois played three games without allowing a goal.

The only high school age Tier I Wisconsin team to advance to Nationals was the U19 Madison Capitols Girls, who do have two former high school players in Nikki Kloes of Antigo and Lauren Hopps of Green Bay. The Capitols are coached by former Olympians Bob Suter and Jessie Vetter.