West Bend, Wi – Washington County Youth Hockey Association (WCYHA) based out of West Bend sent five Squirt teams to State Tournaments throughout the state of Wisconsin last weekend. All five teams saw success with Squirt A and Squirt C Green claiming a Consolation Championship and Squirt C Black winning third place.
The highlight of the weekend came from the Squirt B team who was able to claim the first Co-ed State Championship for WCYHA since 2018. The last State Championship for the association came from the U14 B Girls in 2024.
It looked like it was going to be an easy road to the championship for the No. 1 seed Washington County Squirt B team after a convincing 14-0 win over No. 8 seed Rice Lake.
The game saw Logan Erickson, Oliver Fredrickson, and Grayson Kurlinski achieve Hatrick awards in the game for scoring 3 goals in a singular game while Kurlinski achieved a Playmaker award for assisting on three goals. Goaltender Brock Prust finished the game with a shutout. The win moved Washington County Squirt B into the semifinal game against Janesville.
The previous two weeks Janesville and Washington County had battled with the last being attheRhinelanderTournamentwhereJanesvilletiedthegameinthelast-minute. Both teams knew that it was going to be a tough game.
After a scoreless first period, Janesville opened the scoring early in the second period when Mason Murphy got the puck by Brock Prust. However, Washington County would respond when Jimmy Eichberger scored on the power play.
The teams would finish the second period tied 1-1. WCYHA would break the game open in the third period when Kurlinski took the puck end to end from his own goal line and beat the Janesville goalie high glove side to give Washington County a 2-1 lead.
Five minutes later, Oliver Fredrickson redirected a shot from Ryker Harrington providing Washington County some breathing room to make the score 3-1. That goal would prove to be critical as two minutes later; Murphy for Janesville found the back of the net again closing the score to 3-2.
That would be all the closer Janesville would get as the defensive unit for Washington County consisting of Peter Leonzal, Jackson Tauben, Dexter Krimmer, Kurlinski, and Prust were able to keep Janesville off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game. With a last-ditch effort, Janesville pulled its goalie for a man advantage, but Fredrickson took advantage and iced the game with an empty net goal. With the win, Washington County Squirt B would move on to the championship game.
It all came down to one game to bring home a State Championship. The championship game was the first meeting this year between DePere Squirt B and Washington County Squirt B.
Although neither team had played this year, the WCYHA has a long history with DePere resulting in many games at the state tournament that often resulted in DePere getting the better end of the matchup.
The game started was a defensive battle as both teams were only able to combine for 6 shots on goal during a scoreless first period. The second period started like the first, but business picked up halfway through the period when Spencer Winters for DePere scored giving them a 1-0 lead over WCYHA.
Just a minute later Winters would get loose on a breakaway but the backchecking from Myles Ingman was able to catch Winters at the net and neutralize the scoring threat. DePere would continue to put pressure on, and the pressure would finally result in Leopold Sturgill finding the back of the net providing DePere a 2-0 lead late in the second period.
With little time left in the second period, Washington County would get a much need power play and would capitalize right away when Leonzal took a hard shot from the top of the right faceoff circle that was tipped by Fredrickson resulting in a goal. The second period would end with the score being 2-1 in favor of DePere.
The third period was due or die time for Washington County. A score was needed and it was not going to be easy. DePere goalie Owen King was playing great, and it was going to take a great play to get one by him. For 11 minutes of the third period, he was able to keep Washington County off the scoreboard but with a minute remaining, and the goalie pulled for Washington County, Erickson was able to find the rebound off a Bennet Morrow shot and put home the tying goal making the score 2-2.
The last minute wouldn’t pass without some more excitement as DePere had a chance off a 2-1 rush, but Prust was up to the test in net making a nice save. The rebound was picked up by Kurlinski, subsequently he was tripped from behind by a DePere player meaning that Washington County would start the overtime with a powerplay.
The first minute of overtime with Washington County on the powerplay, provided a slew of opportunities with the best being a point-blank chance by Connor Retzlaff off a AJ Thompson pass but King held his ground for DePere. Washington County would continue to put on the pressure in overtime with great puck movement and forechecking that resulted in Kurlinski getting a clean shot from the blue line that was going to miss to the left side of King until it was redirected by Erickson scoring his second goal of the game and the game winner bringing home the State Championship for Washington Count Squirt B.
Championships are won by the entire team, and it was no different with this team as every player played a critical role throughout the season and the state tournament. Congratulations WCYHA Squirt B on a great season and a State Championship.
Photos courtesy Jim Ingman
