MONROE — Defending Badger Small champions Edgewood defeated Monroe 9-1 in the conference opener on Tuesday, Nov. 28. 

Although the Crusaders are a top team nearly every season — with 10 state tournament appearances, as recently as 2022 — they entered Tuesday’s affair with an extra edge. Edgewood, who finished last season’s Division 1 rankings at No. 11 (16-9-2), began its season with wins over Hudson and Chippewa Falls. In last year’s rankings, Hudson finished No. 5 (19-10-0) and Chippewa Falls No. 9 (16-10-0). 

“Edgewood is one of the top teams in the state,” Monroe assistant coach Tom Stauffacher said. “I wasn’t displeased with the effort. It was just the little details that we have to pay more attention to. Edgewood is a team you try to emulate, but it takes hard work.”

Monroe (2-1-0) skated with Edgewood in the first period, trailing only 3-1. The Crusaders jumped out to a 3-0 lead with goals from Matt Richter, Owen Barnet and Rylan Port. That’s when Joe Vega went to the penalty box for tripping.

Defenseman Gavin Roth took advantage of the extra skater to score an unassisted power-play goal with just over a minute left in the first frame. It was the only goal Monroe scored.

The Crusaders tallied another three goals each in the second and third periods for a 9-1 final. Of their nine goals, seven were even strength, one on the powerplay and one shorthanded.

Kyle Theorin played all 51 minutes in net for Monroe, stopping 50 of 59 shots for a .847 save percentage. The Cheesemakers, on the other hand, had just 19 shots on goal. Edgewood goaltender Hayden Reuhl made 18 saves for a .947 percentage.