PARK FALLS — The Cheesemakers inched closer to a .500 record with a 4-1 win over Chequamegon/Phillips/Butternut Dec. 29. 

“The kids played very well,” Monroe co-op coach Barry Einbeck said. “Our special teams were very good. We had a power play goal and two shorthanded goals.”

Monroe took an early 1-0 lead eight minutes into the game when Cooper Dreyfus lit the lamp on a power play, with assists coming from Jared Dillon and Payton Stauffacher.

“After a five-hour bus ride, the boys came out and played very hard in the first period,” Einbeck said.

CPB tied the score with just over three minutes to play in the first on a power play goal of their own after Monroe’s Brady Shark had been charged with a major misconduct boarding penalty.

Einbeck said he was pleased with the second half effort as well, as the Cheesemakers put two more on the board. Ty O’Connor scored an even strength goal with 4:08 left in the frame off assists from Blaze Janecke and Charlie Harris. Two minutes later Janecke scored a shorthanded goal to make it 3-1.

In the closing minutes of the third, Luke Kuberski scored an empty net shorthanded goal to cap the scoring.

Heath Bear had 22 saves in net as the Cheesemakers outshot CPB 29-23.

Monroe’s next game is Jan. 3 against Stoughton at SLICE.