TOMAH, Wis. — For the second straight game, the Wisconsin Woodsmen found themselves
playing a game of catch-up Saturday evening.
And for the second straight game, the Woodsmen never quite could “catch up.”
West Bend scored a pair of first period goals and held off a furious Wisconsin charge in handing
the Woodsmen a regular season-ending 3-2 NA3HL setback at the Tomah Ice Arena.
After a scoreless first period, Max Mudge and Connor O’Neal gave the Power a two-goal
cushion before the second frame was 10 minutes old, leaving the Woodsmen — who fell behind
2-0 in its 5-2 loss to the Oregon Tradesmen on Friday — once again staring up from a deep hole
hole.
Hugh Deinema got the Woodsmen halfway out of that hole with his 29th goal of the season
2:30 into the third frame, and after the Power regained their two-goal advantage, Nolan-James
Mix once again pulled the Woodsmen within one, netting his 17th goal of the year with 3:16 to
play in regulation.
That, however, would be as close as the Woodsmen would get.
Wisconsin, which finished fourth in the NA3HL Central standings, will kick off post-season play
next weekend with a best-of-three series against regular-season Central champion Wausau
Cyclones. The two teams will play Friday at 7:10 at Marathon Park in Wausau’s, Wis., before heading to the Tomah Ice Arena for Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. rematch. Sunday’s if-necessary Game 3 will be back at Marathon Park at 6:10 p.m.
