#1 SPASH beats #2 Wausau West in hockey showdown of unbeatens to highlight early week HS hockey action.

It was #1 vs. #2 in the state hockey rankings on Tuesday night when 9-0 Wausau West visited 7-0 SPASH in a Wisconsin Valley Conference showdown heard live on 98.9 WXCO. SPASH took advantage of a West miscue just 22 seconds into the game to take a lead they would not relinquish en route to a 6-0 win. Grady Miller scored that first goal and then added a power play goal late in the first period to give the Panthers a 2-0. SPASH would put the game away with three second period goals before Miller finished off his hat trick with a 5 on 3 power play goal in the third period. Zach Burdick made 26 saves in recording the shutout for SPASH (8-0, 3-0 WVC), who have now recorded three straight shutouts as a team following a 5-0 win over D.C. Everest last Thursday and a 4-0 win at Eau Claire Memorial on Friday. West returns to action next Monday in the first of three games at the Notre Dame Showcase at Cornerstone Community Center in Ashwaubenon. The Warriors (9-1, 3-1 WVC) will meet D-2 #6 ranked St. Mary’s Springs of Fond du Lac Monday at 12:30 pm with pregame activities starting at 12:06 pm on 98.9 WXCO, wxco.fm, mobile devices by searching WXCO and on the Civic Media app.

In a non-conference game on Tuesday, Marshfield beat Mosinee 8-6 in a shootout at the Marshfield Ice Arena. The game was tied at 3 after 2 periods when the goal light started flashing over and over again. After Marshfield took a 4-3 lead, Mosinee responded with a pair of goals by Tyler Baars and Evan Gwidt to lead 5-4. Blake Meissner then tied the game for Marshfield before a shorthanded goal by Jack Mattila gave the Tigers the lead for good. Marshfield improves to 4-3 with the win while Mosinee is now 4-4 overall.

Also in Wisconsin Valley Conference hockey it was Wisconsin Rapids earning their first league win of the season with a 5-4 overtime triumph at East-Merrill United on Monday. Griffin Schindler scored a power play goal at 3:02 of the OT to win it for Rapids (3-6 overall, 1-2 WVC). Matthew Cook scored two goals for the Red Raiders. Connor Zdroik, Alex Petrowski, Brody Klebenow and Jackson Pierce each had goals for the Bluejacks (1-8, 0-4).

D.C. Everest stepped out of the WVC on Monday for a non-conference road trip to Rhinelander. The Evergreens took charge early with 8 first period goals and went on to beat the Hodags 12-0. Hayden Johnson scored 4 goals for Everest, who are now 5-5 overall. Cole Van Slyke added a hat trick and Ethan Whitmore two goals for the Evergreens.

In girls’ hockey on Monday, the Central Wisconsin Storm couldn’t solve Black River Falls goalie Alexa Moore in a 2-0 loss in a game heard on 98.9 WXCO. The game was scoreless until 22 seconds into the third period when Black River Falls broke through on a Kaia Moore goal to lead 1-0. It would stay that way until 2:20 remained in the game when Jordyn King would score a power play goal to give the Tigers a cushion at 2-0. Alexa Moore finished with 28 saves for Black River Falls (5-3-1 overall, 3-0 WVC). Taylor Simonson had 27 saves for the Storm, who fell to 4-2-1 overall and 1-1 in the WVC.

In another WVC girls’ hockey match-up on Monday it was the Wisconsin Valley Union beating Northland Pines 3-1 in Eagle River. Ellie Czaikowski had two goals for WVU (3-3 overall, 2-2 WVC). Avery Renkes had the lone goal for Pines, who drop to 1-4-1 overall and 1-1 in the WVC.