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Fury fall to Arrowhead, ready for playoffs
Conference title to be determined Feb. 11, playoffs begin Feb. 12; Albany junior forward Haley Knauf finalist for state award
Olivia Cronin
Rock County goalie Olivia Cronin makes a save in the top shelf during the Fury’s 2-1 loss to Hartland Arrowhead Feb. 5. The Fury wrap up the regular season Feb. 11 at Sun Prairie, with the winner taking home the conference crown.

HARTLAND — The Rock County Fury lost a tough road game 2-1 at Hartland Arrowhead Feb. 5 in a nonconference game. 

Arrowhead (9-11) scored back-to-back goals in the second period to take a 2-0 lead.

The Fury’s only goal came with less than three minutes left in the second on a power play. Monroe’s Cammi Ganshert slapped a shot from the blue line, and Alyssa Knauf rerouted the puck to Haley Knauf, who flipped to Anika Einbeck for the goal.

Rock Valley outshot Arrowhead 31-16, with Fury goalie Olivia Cronin saving 14 shots.

The Fury (12-8-2, 7-0-2 Badger) have lost three of four with two games left in the regular season. Rock County was scheduled to host Wisconsin Valley Union (8-10-1) Feb. 8 at Janesville, and the regular season finale is set for Feb. 11 at Sun Prairie and the Cap City Cougars. Cap City (11-6-3, 7-0-1) is just one point back in the conference standings. A win would clinch the Badger Conference title for the Fury.

The Fury hosts Baraboo (Badger Lightning) in the first round of the WIAA playoffs Feb. 12 at Beloit’s Edwards Ice Arena.

Haley Knauf finalist for Jeff Sauer Award

Rock County junior forward Haley Knauf, Albany, is one of eight finalists for the Jeff Sauer Award.

The Coach Sauer Foundation released the list of the eight finalists Feb. 6. Sauer was a former Wisconsin Badgers coach and died in February 2017. Last year, Madison Edgewood goalie Shane Ryan was the inaugural winner.

According the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association, the award’s goal “is to recognize good high school hockey players being great people,” and is modeled after the Hockey Humanitarian Award, a yearly award that “recognizes players, male or female, who contribute to local communities in a true humanitarian spirit.”

Current Wisconsin men’s hockey coach Tony Granato will present the award Feb. 27 prior to the WIAA state hockey tournament.

The other nominees are Dayne Hagedorn (Wausau West), Dane Luebke (Waunakee), Haley Meskin (Madison West), Annelise Swiggum (Black River Falls), Luke Trittlewitz (Grantsburg), Katie Benson (Ashwaubenon) and Parker Esswein (Wauwatosa West).