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Monroe goes 2-1 in three-day span
Jan. 29 game at Madison La Follette postponed due to frigid forecast
Monroe Hockey 02
Monroe’s Jared Dillon makes his way toward the goal during a 3-2 win over Beloit Memorial Jan. 24 at SLICE in Monroe. - photo by Marissa Weiher

MONROE — The Monroe co-op hockey team went 2-1 last week with three games in three days. First, on Jan. 24, the Cheesemakers beat Beloit Memorial 3-2, followed by a tough 7-4 loss to Monona Grove Jan. 25. On Jan. 26, Monroe scored a 2-1 overtime road win at Viroqua.


Monroe 3, Beloit Memorial 2

The Cheesemakers scored two goals in the second and another in the third to pick up a nonconference victory.

“After a slow start to the game, the boys came out in the second period and played very well,” Monroe coach Barry Einbeck said.

Ryan Molitor scored the first goal of the game off an assist from Brady Smith 5:24 into the second. Ty O’Connor made it 2-0 off assists from Kaiden Klitzke and Molitor with 6:15 to play in the first.

Beloit made it a one-goal game with just 8:01 left in regulation, but Cooper Dreyfus lit the lamp off a pass from Payton Stauffacher with 2:08 to play.

Beloit scored a desperation goal with 30 seconds left, but the Cheesemakers hung on for the win.

Heath Bear had 34 saves in net, and both teams put 36 shots on goal.

Monona Grove 7, Monroe 4

Three out of Monroe’s four goals came on power plays, but the Silver Eagles were too much for the Cheesemakers to handle.

Payton Stauffacher scored Monroe’s first goal off passes from Jared Dillon and Hayden Roth to tie the game at 1-1 less than seven minutes into the game. But Monona Grove scored twice in the final 1:10 of the first to take a commanding 3-1 lead into the first intermission.

Monroe’s second goal came off of the stick of Roth, who scored 1:40 into the third period to make it 5-2 MG. Stauffacher and Jared Cline assisted.

The two squads traded goals the rest of the way in the third, with Stauffacher and Dreyfus each putting the puck into the net. Nine of the game’s 11 goals were scored via power plays. Bear had 47 saves as Monroe was outshot 54-39.


Monroe 2, Viroqua 1, OT

Colton O’Connor scored the game-winner at the 6:58 mark in overtime with Payton Stauffacher assisting. 

Stauffacher scored the first goal, with Dreyfus assisting in the first period. Viroqua tied it at 1-1 in the second on a power play goal.

Jayden Johnson had 15 saves in net, as Monroe outshot Viroqua 40-16.

The Cheesemakers (9-12, 1-8 Badger South) were scheduled to play Madison La Follette (1-19) on the road Jan. 29, but the game was postponed to Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. due to forecasted frigid weather conditions. Monroe is scheduled to host Milton Jan. 31. A win over Milton (5-13, 0-8) would give the program its first-ever two-win conference season in the seven years as a WIAA varsity program.