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Wildcats finish strong in 6-1 win over Edgewood

By Michael Trzinski, WiPH Staff, 12/30/18, 5:00AM CST

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Verona scores four final period goals


In a game that might very well have sectional implications, Verona finished strong with four goals in the final period to claim the 3rd place title in the Showdown in Titletown over Madison Edgewood Saturday evening.

With both teams competing in Sectional 6, which with Madison West, Madison Memorial, Middleton, and Sun Prairie is arguably the strongest sectional in the state, the Wildcats strengthened their cause with a second season win over the Crusaders this season.

Edgewood (10-3) got on the board first in the middle of the first. Hunter Stracka made a cross-ice pass to Cooper Fink on the back-door, and #8 scored his first goal on the year for the 1-0 lead, which would stand up through the period.

Kaden Grant stopped 13 shots for Verona, while Zach Walker made nine saves for Edgewood.

Verona got a goal from the slot area by Leo Renlund less than two minutes into the middle period to knot the contest at one apiece. Mack Keryluk and Walker Haessig had assists on the play.

A couple minutes later Verona had another great chance by Cale Rufenacht, but Walker made a nice blocker save to keep the score at 1-1.

A Verona penalty with just over 10 minutes left put the Wildcats a man down, but on this night, where they went 2-for-2 on power plays and killed off all seven penalties, it didn't matter.

Keryluk grabbed the loose puck and motored down the right side and went behind the net before dropping a pass out front to Haessig, who completed the short-handed scoring chance to give Verona a 2-1 lead.

That's how the period ended, with Walker stopping 10 shots and Grant seven.

The final period was pretty much all Verona, as Ryan Ritter scored 39 seconds in with an assist to Kade Binger to make it 3-1.

Two minutes later, Drew Yeager made it 4-1 with his tough angle shot from below the right circle that snuck between the post and the left pad of Walker, with an assist to Renlund.

WiPH Game Summaries

In the middle of the period, Keryluk scored on the back porch with a nice pass from Rufenacht to make it 5-1.

Then it was Rufe's turn as he grabbed a loose puck in the NZ, made a nice deke that had Walker leaning the wrong way, and flipped the puck over the netminder's left pad to account for the final scoring.

In the final period, Grant stopped six pucks for Verona for a game total of 26, while Walker made 11 saves to finish with 30 on the night. 

Verona improved to 11-1-2 on the season.