Shawano co-op hockey team dominant in win over Tomahawk

7 different co-op players score
By: 
Morgan Rode
Sports Editor

The Shawano/Bonduel/Clintonville co-op hockey team had seven different players score during the team’s 10-4 victory over Tomahawk on Jan. 12 at the Crawford Center in Shawano.

It was the team’s first home game with fans in attendance.

Andrew Puissant led Shawano on the offensive end, recording a hat trick after scoring one goal in each period. He also was credited with an assist. Ryan Wegenke was the other co-op player to net multiple goals, scoring twice.

Karson Stoss and Sam Arneson each recorded one goal and one assist for the hosts. Leland Jones, Skyler Webster and Noah Davids had the other goals, while Ticeon Olson and Aidan Beaulieu were credited with one assist each.

“It’s nice that everybody worked together tonight,” said Puissant of the team having seven players score. “Once we started putting in goals, nobody got selfish. We tried to play as a team and everybody tried to put one or two in.”

Dylan Prochaska made 11 saves while defending the net for the Shawano co-op.

It took Shawano a few minutes to find its groove, but once it did, the scoring came fast and furious.

Wegenke was the first player to score, netting a goal off an assist from Puissant with 6 minutes, 39 seconds to play in the first period. The host’s second goal came 11 seconds later, with Stoss scoring off assists from Beaulieu and Arneson.

Wegenke scored again with just under three minutes to play in the opening period, and less than a minute later, Jones scored. Puissant then scored with 40 seconds left to make it 5-0 after 17 minutes of action.

“We challenged the kids to come out and take the game to them at the beginning tonight,” said Shawano co-coach Travis Olson. “We’ve had a problem coming out and scoring right away (this season). We give up that first goal or two to start the game and I really challenged the kids to come out, be the offensive team and score first. We put a couple goals in quick off the bat and we just kept riding that the rest of the game.”

Tomahawk was finally able to got on the scoreboard early in the second period, but the Shawano co-op responded with the period’s final three goals to take a commanding 8-1 lead.

Davids had the first goal off an assist from Olson. Puissant and Webster added unassisted goals.

After two periods, the co-op held a 30-9 advantage in shots on goal.

The few times Tomahawk had a strong offensive push, the co-op was able to help Prochaska defend the net. After thwarting the visitor’s scoring chances, Shawano was often able to push the puck down the ice and create breakaway scoring opportunities on the offensive end.

“We came out tonight with fast legs and good passing right away,” said Wegenke. “I had a couple open chances and capitalized on some and then got some of my teammates going and they capitalized on some. We just kept putting the pressure on them, and that was the goal going into the game.”

The co-op pushed its lead up to nine early in the third period after goals from Arneson and Puissant, with Stoss assisting on Puissant’s goal.

Tomahawk scored the final three goals of the game, including two in the final two minutes while on a power play, but it was far to late to challenge the co-op.

Tomahawk 0 1 3 — 4

Shawano 5 3 2 — 10

First period

S: Ryan Wegenke (Andrew Puissant assist), 6:39

S: Karson Stoss (Aidan Beaulieu, Sam Arneson), 6:28

S: Wegenke, 2:58

S: Leland Jones, 2:09

S: Puissant, 0:40

Second period

T: Ben Schertz (Rex Peritz), 14:28

S: Noah Davids (Ticeon Olson), 10:35

S: Puissant, 7:05

S: Skyler Webster, 0:13

Third period

S: Arneson, 13:26

S: Puissant (Stoss), 11:26

T: Peritz, 7:57

T: Zach Friske (Peritz), 1:59

T: Friske, 1:51

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