PEORIA, Ill. — The Wisconsin Woodsmen set their sights on ringing in the new year in much the
same fashion as they had closed out 2025.
The offense was up for the challenge, but the defense wasn’t.
Coming off an 8-0 victory over Peoria on Jan. 28 – their final game of the 2024 portion of their
schedule — the Woodsmen racked up 56 shots and five more goals in their 2025 opener against
the same Mustangs on Friday.
This time around, however, there would be no shutout, as Peoria erupted for six goals —
including the game-winner 48 seconds into overtime — lifting the Mustangs to a 6-5 victory at
Owens Center.
Playing their third of six straight games against the Woodsmen, Peoria had all the momentum
through the game’s first period, getting goals from Nathan Pleva and Rex Rhodes in the opening
10 minutes to snag a 2-0 lead.
Peoria pushed its lead to 3-0 2:24 into the second frame, before the Woodsmen’s offense came
to life, getting four unanswered goals, from four different players, to grab their first lead of the
game, 4-3.
Maxim Lazo kicked off Wisconsin’s second-period offensive onslaught, with Colton Holzer,
Vincent Greene, and Tyler Osborne also finding the back of the net to give the Woodsmen the
one-goal cushion heading into the second intermission.
Back-to-back goals by Wyatt Duke and Breyon Maroney put Peoria back in front, 5-4, only to
have the Woodsmen’s Charles Murray score his sixth goal of the season with 1:53 remaining in
regulation to second the game into overtime.
The OT period did not last long, however, as Jordan Mini beat Wisconsin goalie Llyton Jaschke
just 48 seconds into the overtime session to give the Mustangs the win.
Jaschke finished with 23 saves between the pipes for the Woodsmen, while Mustangs’ goalie
Alcinec kicked out 51 of Wisconsin’s 56 shots on goal.
The Woodsmen and Mustangs will return to the Owen Center on Saturday for the second game
of their two-game weekend series. Puck drop is slated for 6 p.m.
