SPASH hockey advances to state title game

SPASH 4
De Pere/West De Pere 0
MIDDLETON-In the WIAA boys hockey state championship semifinals The top seeded SPASH Panthers took on fourth seeded De Pere/West De Pere on March 6, as the winner advanced to the state championship game.

SPASH Panthers used a strong second half of the game to secure a 4–0 victory over De Pere/West De Pere, breaking open a tight contest with three goals in the third period.

After a scoreless opening period where both teams battled for control, Stevens Point finally broke through midway through the second period. At the 4:45 mark, Max Mittelsteadt found the back of the net at even strength, giving Stevens Point a 1–0 lead. Jackson Flees picked up the assist on the play.

Holding onto the one-goal advantage entering the final period, Stevens Point quickly took control in the third. Grady Miller extended the lead to 2–0 at 8:09 with an even-strength goal, assisted by Grant Molski.

Just over four minutes later, the duo connected again. This time Molski scored at 12:12, with Miller recording the assist to make it 3–0.

Stevens Point capped off the night with an empty-net goal at 15:37 from Molski, his second goal of the game, sealing the 4–0 shutout victory.

Molski finished the night with three points, scoring twice and adding an assist, while Miller contributed a goal and an assist. Mittelsteadt added the opening goal, and Flees recorded an assist.

Stevens Point’s defense along with a 30 save shutout by goaltender Zac Burdick held De Pere/West De Pere scoreless throughout the contest to secure the shutout and send SPASH to the title game.

Edgewood 7
SPASH 4

Middleton- The SPASH Panthers faced the Edgewood Crusaders in a matchup of the top two seeds in the tournament on March 7.

Edgewood opened the scoring just 33 seconds into the game when Owen Koch found the back of the net with assists from Owen Barnet and George Colletti, giving Edgewood an early 1–0 lead.

Stevens Point responded with two goals later in the first period. Jerome Poirier tied the game at 7:32 on a power play, assisted by Grant Molski. The momentum continued for Stevens Point when Grant Molski scored a shorthanded goal at 15:42 off a pass from Grady Miller, putting Stevens Point ahead 2–1 heading into the first intermission.

Edgewood completely shifted the momentum in the second period with an offensive explosion.

At 5:15, Owen Porter tied the game on the power play with assists from Owen Koch and Shane Fisch. Just 1:40 later, Owen Barnet regained the lead for Edgewood by converting a penalty shot.

The scoring continued midway through the period when Porter struck again at 11:33, assisted by Sawyer Guenther and Barnet, giving Edgewood a two-goal cushion.

Stevens Point briefly closed the gap at 12:24 when Teddy Westrick scored off a pass from Jerome Poirier, but Edgewood answered quickly. Only 40 seconds later, Barnet scored his second goal of the game with help from Koch.

Edgewood capped off the five-goal period at 14:05 when Cash Soma added another goal, assisted by Will Rothering and Carter Rosenberg, sending Edgewood into the third period with a commanding 6–3 lead.

The third period saw fewer scoring chances until late in the game. With Stevens Point pushing offensively, Owen Koch scored an empty-net goal at 15:43 to extend the Edgewood lead.

Stevens Point added one final goal at 16:37 when Teddy Westrick scored his second of the game with assists from Jerome Poirier and Grady Miller, but it was not enough to overcome Edgewood’s second-period surge.

For Stevens Point, Teddy Westrick scored twice and Jerome Poirier contributed a goal and multiple assists, but it was not enough as the Panthers fell 7-4 in the championship game.