NEW GLARUS — Headed into its last conference game against Lake Mills, Sugar River had its sights set on an outright Capitol Conference championship — its sixth straight. The Raiders came out prepared, scoring two goals in the first six minutes, en route to a 6-0 win on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
“I told the boys before the game, ‘Don’t take anyone, any team or any game for granted,’” Sugar River head coach Bob Gentilli said. “Now, we enjoy this moment because we don’t know what’s around the corner.”
Five minutes into the game, Ben Johnson put a shot on goal that Lake Mills’ keeper let squeak out. Aiden Hatleberg was there for the rebound, putting Sugar River on the board. Just over a minute later, Johnson scored his own goal.
The Wildcat keeper came out of goal to secure a loose ball but tripped up Johnson in the process. On the subsequent penalty kick, Johnson put it over the keeper’s right shoulder into the back of the net.
In the 17th minute, Hatleberg extended Sugar River’s lead to 3-0. Defenseman Breckyn Thompson moved the ball upfield to Josh Potter, who found Hatleberg. He then buried it in the upper left corner. To complete his hat trick, Hatleberg scored on a corner kick, as his ball had enough curve to wrap around the goal and in.
With just over a minute left in the first half, Hatleberg on a set play off a free kick from Jack Leonard. With four goals in the game, Hatleberg surpassed 30 goals on the season.
“It really doesn’t get old,” Hatleberg said. “It’s a great experience, and scoring four goals to win conference is a good feeling.”
Gentilli played his substitutes in the second half, where freshman Drew Brueggemann scored in the 67th minute. He got a pass from Alex Smith and used the right pipe to ricochet the ball into the net.
Sugar River had 24 shots on goal with 15 of those on frame. Conversely, Lake Mills had 13 shots on goal with 10 on frame. Cayden Betts and Clayton Strieff split time in net, recording three saves each.
With the win, Sugar River claimed its sixth straight Capitol Conference title. The streak started in 2018, where the Raiders — coached by Kyle Webber — went 9-0. In the six years, Sugar River has compiled a 45-2-1 conference record.
“The youth coaches and Sugar River club, those are the people that are making this all happen,” Gentilli said. “Granted we get our boys in the weight room and work tactical stuff with them, but those youth coaches keep those kids out and train them properly. That’s the key.”
After a nonconference, regular-season game against Mount Horeb on Thursday, Oct. 12, Sugar River enters the playoffs. The Raiders (14-2-1, 6-0-0 Capitol), ranked No. 8 in Division 3, received a first-round bye and will host Jefferson (4-14-1, 1-6-1 Rock Valley) in a regional semifinal on Thursday, Oct. 19.
