December 14, 2022 at 1:42 p.m.
Slow start dooms Edge vs. Valley Union
Slow start dooms Edge vs. Valley Union
Wisconsin Valley Union scored twice in the first minute and opened the game with five unanswered goals as it skated to a 7-3 victory over the Edge at the Langlade County Multi-Purpose Building in Antigo.
Jenna Jones recorded a hat trick for Wisconsin Valley Union (1-5-0), a co-op of Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield, Waupaca, Wisconsin Rapids Assumption and Amherst. Taylor Heleniak scored twice for the Edge co-op of Rhinelander, Lakeland, Antigo, Three Lakes and Wabeno (1-4-0), giving the junior 10 goals on the season.
Jones scored the first of her three goals just 29 seconds into the contest for Valley Union, cashing in off a turnover in the Edge's defensive zone. She walked in off the right side of the slot for a wrist shot over goalie Hannah Mueller's glove. Mya Cullen scored just 13 seconds later, walking in from the point off the faceoff to put the Edge down 2-0.
Kaydence McGregor and Jai Dee Menge added point-blank scores later in the period as the Edge found itself behind 4-0 after 17 minutes.
"It didn't matter who we were playing, if we came out the way we played that period, the result would have been the same," Edge coach Tom Roeser said. "We were overstating pucks, not blocking shots, not taking care of our goalie. We let a couple of soft ones get slammed in short side, not taking care of those girls working on the goalie. It turned into 4-0 right away."
The onslaught continued early in the second as Lily Cichy scored short-handed 1:03 into the period. She blocked a Maddi Roeser power play shot and turned it into a 3-on-1 breakaway the other direction before scoring the goal herself.
The Edge finally got on the board 3:32 into the second period on an end-to-end play by Lakeland senior defender Maria Gironella. She grabbed the puck in her own zone and skated 1-on-2 into the Valley Union end before firing a shot from the left faceoff dot past goalie Grace Lawrence.
The teams traded goals the rest of the way. Jones got her second at the 4:56 mark of the second period on a rebound. Heleniak answered on the power play for the Edge late in the second as she was at the top of the crease for a rebound chance. Maddi Roeser and Wyndi Saari were credited with assists as the Edge trailed 6-2 after two periods.
Jones completed her hat trick just 37 seconds into the third when she was left open at the top of the crease for a centering pass by Ella Beilke from behind the end line. Heleniak tacked on a late goal for the Edge, winning a battle for the puck along the boards at center ice before walking into the zone and firing a shot under Lawrence's legs.
Shots ended 32-25 in favor of Wisconsin Valley Union. The Edge held a 13-6 shot advantage in the third, but the pressure came too late to mount any sort of a comeback.
"The first two periods, especially, we didn't put near enough pucks on (Lawrence)," coach Roeser said. "When we were dumping pucks, we were dumping them soft onto their D's sticks and they came back the other way. That left us playing a lot of D zone in the first period."
"I think we're fairly equal with them, but we need to play three periods with them to have a good, tight game," Roeser added.
Mueller stopped 25 pucks in the loss for the Edge.
The loss could potentially hurt the Edge later in the season when it comes to playoff seeding with Wisconsin Valley Union in the same sectional. Monday's game was the only time the two teams were set to play during the regular season.
"It definitely affects our seeding," coach Roeser said. "Unless we're lucky enough to pick up another game with them, I don't know if they've got a full schedule. We should go over there and play them. I'd like to do that."
The Edge returns to action this coming Tuesday in another game that could impact the team's tournament resume. The Edge travels to Medford to face a much-improved Raider squad that beat Wisconsin Valley Union 5-1 back on Nov. 22 behind a 45-save effort from freshman goalie Ilsa Brunner.
"We're going to have to put pucks in the net on her," coach Roeser said. "She's solid, so we're going to have to find ways to put pucks in the net and, play better D zone and take care of our goalie better."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
WEATHER SPONSORED BY
E-Editions
Latest News
E-Editions
Events
August
To Submit an Event Sign in first
Today's Events
No calendar events have been scheduled for today.
Comments:
You must login to comment.