TOMAH, Wis. — It’s been said the post-season is a whole new ball game — the slates are wiped
clean and everyone is starting over with 0-0 records.
Unfortunately for the Wisconsin Woodsmen, when it came to playing the West Bend Power,
the start of the “new” season ended eerily similar to the end of the “old” one.
West Bend, riding a five-game winning streak against the Woodsmen — including a 31-12
scoring edge — pushed that win streak to six in dramatic fashion Thursday evening at the Kettle
Moraine Ice Center.
The top-seeded Power scored the game-tying goal with 17 seconds remaining in regulation,
then netted the game-winner 7:43 in to overtime, lifting West Bend to a 3-2 victory in Game 1
of the teams’ best-of-3 Fraser Cup series.
After a scoreless first period, the two teams traded goals in both the second and third period to
send the game into overtime.
Cole Schreiber got the Woodsmen on the board first in the middle frame, scoring his first of the
post-season at 6:32, with Tristan May-Robinson picking up the lone assist. Mike Sobaski pulled
the Power even before the period ended, beating Wisconsin goalie Steven Kelley with 1:30 to
play.
It appeared as if the game would remain deadlocked at 1-1 heading into OT, before both teams
struck in the game’s final 40 seconds. Nolan Mix gave the Woodsmen a brief, 2-1, lead at 19:20
of the third, only to have Jackson Hoem answer 23 seconds later, knotting the game at 2-2.
And it was Hoem who would net the game-winner for the Power in the extra session, rifling a
shot past Kelley seven minutes in.
Kelley was busy between the pipes for the Woodsmen, kicking out 47 of West Bend’s 50 shots
on goal — including 16 in the third period and the first eight of the overtime. Adam Prokop
picked up the win in goal for the Power, finishing with 25 saves.
The Woodsmen will get another shot at the Power on Friday, when the two teams head to the
Tomah Ice Center in Tomah, Wis., for Game 2 of the best-of-3 NA3HL Frasher Cup series.
