Eagles’ hockey team off to terrific start

A season of promise and high expectations got off to a bang for the Sauk Prairie co-op hockey team last Friday night. Senior forward Riley Jelinek and sophomore forward Erik Peterson each recorded a hat trick to power the Eagles to a 12-0 victory over host Stoughton in a non-conference game at the Mandt Community Center. The Eagles’ co-op, which includes players from host school Sauk Prairie along with Mount Horeb, River Valley and Wisconsin Heights, took charge from the opening face-off. “It felt very good just to get out there and get going,” Jelinek said. “We played very well as a team. In the first period, we had to knock the rust off. We came out in the second (period) and played better as a team and limited our turnovers.” Senior goaltender Jordan O’Connor posted a shutout in her varsity debut, finishing with nine saves, including seven in the first period, for the Eagles who outshot the Vikings 52-9. “Jordan bailed us out in the first period,” Jelinek said of O’Connor. “We helped her out with scoring in the second and third (periods).” O’Connor said it was fun being back on the ice with her former teammates from their youth hockey days. “I haven’t played a game since March, and it was a pretty big game, so I was nervous,” said O’Connor, who admitted she wasn’t really challenged after the opening period. “But I’m ready for the next game now.” Jelinek scored the only goal Sauk Prairie would need when he converted off assists from senior center Camden Desroches and senior defenseman Jay Liedtke at the 4 minute, 37 second mark of the first period. Senior forward Lance Bauernhuber made it 2-0 off an assist from sophomore defenseman Hakon Peterson at 5:41. Peterson’s twin brother — Erik — gave Sauk Prairie a 3-0 lead when he capped off the first period with the first of his three goals at 10:44 on assists from Bauernhuber and senior forward Dylan Andrews. Freshman forward Luke Mast scored his first prep goal off assists from Hakon Peterson and Nick Mast just 30 seconds into the second period for the Eagles’ first power-play goal of the season. Freshman Micah Hanson made it 5-0 with the first goal of his high school career when he slammed home a shot off assists from Jelinek and Luke Mast at the 7:53 mark. Desroches and Jelinek combined for Sauk Prairie’s first short-handed goal of the season when Desroches converted at 14:30 to send the Eagles into the third period with a 6-0 lead. “We’re a very deep team. We have a lot of talent on each line,” O’Connor said. “We’re very confident of our lines, so this year we don’t need just Riley (Jelinek) and Cam (Desroches) out there for the whole game. We can have everybody getting playing time.” The Eagles tacked on six goals in the final period, including four on the power-play. Luke Mast and senior defenseman Willy Hanson each scored a goal, while Erik Peterson and Jelinek each scored twice in the final 17 minutes to cap the rout. Sauk Prairie was 5-of-7 on the power-play (.714), while Stoughton was 0-for-2. It truly was a team effort for the Eagles, who had 11 players score. The Eagles got goals from seven different players, and 10 players finished with at least one assist. The Eagles’ first line of Desroches, Jelinek and Nick Mast accounted for four goals and eight assists, but got plenty of help from the team’s second and third lines. “Just the depth on our team is a lot better than it’s been in the past,” Jelinek said. “Our first and second lines are getting more time off because our third line can stick with people.” Jelinek totaled three goals and three assists, Erik Peterson had three goals and one assist, and Luke Mast finished with two goals and two assists. Liedtke chipped in with three assists along with Hakon Peterson. Nick Mast. Desroches and Andrews had two assists apiece. O’Connor said the Eagles’ defense also played well in front of her. “I trust them,” she said. “We understand each other. I know where they’ll be, and they have my back. I have a pretty good relationship with them.” Stoughton goaltender Quinn Zieman made 40 saves, dealing with the Eagles’ power-play for most of the third period. Meanwhile, O’Connor had a relative easy night after the first period. “She was big for us, she saved us when she needed to,” Jelinek said. “It was big for us getting a shutout in our first game.” • On deck: Following a non-conference game against Monroe in the Eagles’ home opener Tuesday, Sauk Prairie is off until Dec. 6 when it plays a non-conference game at Viroqua at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22 Sauk Prairie co-op 12, Stoughton 0 Sauk Prairie …..........… 3 3 6 — 12 Stoughton …..........…… 0 0 0 — 0 First period: SP -- Riley Jelinek (Camden Desroches, Jay Liedtke), 4:37; Lance Bauernhuber (Hakon Peterson), 5:41; Erik Peterson (Bauernhuber, Dylan Andrews), 10:44. Second period: SP -- Luke Mast (H. Peterson, Nick Mast) 0:30 (pp); Micah Hanson (Jelinek, L. Mast) 7:53; Desroches (Jelinek) 14:30 (sh). Third period: L. Mast (Jelinek, N. Mast) 2:19 (pp); Willy Hanson (Liedtke, E. Peterson) 2:37 (pp); E. Peterson (Liedtke, Andrews) 3:01 (pp); Jelinek (N. Mast) 7:58; Jelinek (Desroches, H. Peterson) 9:34 (pp); E. Peterson (M. Hanson, L. Mast) 16:06. Saves: SP (Jordan O’Connor) 9; St (Quinn Ziemann) 40. Penalties-minutes: SP 2-4; St 7-23.