ONALASKA — The Onalaska/La Crosse co-op boys hockey team remained unbeaten but needed a key goal in the third period to hold on for a 6-3 Western Wisconsin Hockey Conference win over the Holmen/Aquinas co-op at the OmniCenter on Tuesday.
The Hilltoppers (4-0, 2-0 WWHC) scored three goals in the first period and two in the second, but junior Liam Branson’s unassisted goal 5 minutes, 34 seconds into the third stopped a burst of momentum for the Avalanche, who scored all of their goals in the third.
Branson’s goal gave Onalaska/La Crosse a 6-1 lead, and it came less than 2 minutes after James Siegert put the Avalanche (2-4, 1-1) on the board.
Siegert scored two goals for the Avalanche, who also received one from Jack Franzini and two assists from Corbin Meyer.
Branson finished with two goals and one assist for the Hilltoppers, who outshot the Avalanche 35-19.
Logan Sauter also scored two goals for Onalaska/La Crosse, which received additional goals from Grayson Andel and Jackson Egan. Egan’s goal gave the Hilltoppers a 5-0 lead at 5:21 i the second period.
Tomah/Sparta 7, West Salem/Bangor 4
SPARTA — The Panthers scored the first two goals and entered the second period with a 3-1 lead before it all fell apart.
Tomah/Sparta scored three times in the third period and scored the final two after Terryn Boland’s score with an assist from Coen Knutson had the Panthers within 5-4 at 4:09 of the third.
Boland had a hat trick and added an assist to his stat line. Knutson also scored for the Panthers (0-4, 0-1).
