MONROE — After the Cheesemakers killed a penalty, Seth Brandt took that momentum to score the game-winning 4-3 overtime goal for Monroe in its game against Reedsburg on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

“It was pretty crazy. I made a move that I didn’t really know I could do, and the puck found the back of the net,” senior Brandt said. “It was surreal. It’s still soaking in.”

The game was competitive throughout, as the first period was a wash. Nolan Bodenstein put Monroe on the board first with a goal, assisted by Wyatt Janecke and Patrick Alt. But a minute later, Reedsburg tied the game up with a goal from John Scott.

The Beavers took their only lead with an unassisted goal from Caden Brandt, but a power-play goal from Ethan Rosenstiel knotted the game at two. 

In the second period, Brandt put the Cheesemakers back on top with assists from Carter Nemergut and Haden Barker. Xander Obert held the Beavers scoreless in second, leading up to a dramatic third period.

With time ticking down in the third period, Monroe looked to seal the win with another shut-out period. Reedsburg had other ideas, though. The Beavers called a timeout to set up a play and pulled their goalie with just over a minute remaining. The risk paid off, as Caden Brandt found the back of the net.

Ten seconds later, Bodenstein went to the box for hooking. Although Reedsburg had a two-man advantage, pulling its goalie once again, Obert remained strong in net, forcing overtime.

The Cheesemakers had an uphill battle ahead, needing to kill a penalty and find a way to score. Senior Nathan Ratke set the tone, though, with a pep-talk. 

“I was a little disappointed [with the third-period goal], but Nate Ratke really pumped everyone up saying, ‘we are short-handed here, go get it,’” Seth Brandt said. “That’s what we did. Everyone worked hard. It was a team effort not just me.”

After killing the remaining 51 second of the penalty, momentum shifted in favor of Monroe. A minute later, Seth Brandt made his move and found the back of the net. The Cheesemakers cleared the bench in celebration.

With two goals, Brandt led the team with two points. Rosenstiel tallied one goal and assist for two points, too. The Beavers outshot the Cheesemakers 36-32, but Obert was a wall in net, stopping 33 shots. 

“Zander is a huge part of this. I say we work as a five-man unit, but really there’s six of us,” Monroe head coach Barry Einbeck said. “It starts at our net and works its way out. If we don’t have a strong defensive zone, everything else falls apart. Zander played outstanding. He made saves that could have easily been goals.”

With the win, Monroe avenged its 5-2 loss to Reedsburg earlier this season. 

“Our ability to work as a five-man unit on the ice has improved,” Einbeck said. “We have guys that are buying into what we are trying to preach and they are understanding their roles on the ice. … We’ve never doubted their work ethic all year. It’s just getting us to play together as a team, and they are finally getting that and seeing how well it works.”

The victory had even more meaning, as Reedsburg defeated conference-leading Edgewood on Friday, Jan. 27. The Cheesemakers showed the parity of the Badger West and looks to continue trending up.

“It [the win] shows how our conference is really strong between Edgewood, Sauk, Reedsburg and Oregon. Those are four really good teams, and now I think we are in the mix,” Einbeck said. “Now I have to get our kids to get Edgewood out of their heads. They look at it as a mountain they can’t climb. I think they can compete with anybody in the state as long as they work hard and as a team.”