MONROE - Argyle freshman Luke Kuberski helped the Monroe boys hockey co-op get off to a hot start with a first-period goal, but it led to a nightmarish second period in a 5-1 loss to McFarland Friday at SLICE Arena.
The Spartans scored three goals and outshot the Cheesemakers 26-7 in a dominant second period to take control of the Badger South game. McFarland outshot Monroe 46-24 in the game. With the loss, Monroe drops to 1-6 overall, 0-2 Badger South.
"They (McFarland) were just more aggressive," Kuberski said. "They wanted it more than we did. I think we got a little bit cocky with it being 1-1."
McFarland senior forward Conor Wilson scored two goals, and sophomore forward Jack Bartzen had one goal and two assists to power the Spartans.
Early on, the game had the makings of a shootout. Bartzen scored a goal on an assist from junior Tyler Laux 25 seconds into the first period. Kuberski answered with a game-tying goal on assists from sophomore Ty O'Connor (Orangeville) and freshman Cooper Dreyfus (New Glarus) at 1 minute, 22 seconds to tie the game at 1. It stayed that way for the next 16 minutes.
"I just wanted to get to the net as fast as I could," Kuberski said. "I wasn't worried about shooting it. I just wanted to get to the net."
Wilson scored his first goal at 1:15 in the second period to give the Spartans a 2-1 lead. The Spartans scored three goals in a 5-minute stretch. McFarland sophomore Thor Rosten scored on assists by Laux and Bartzen at 3:58 in the second to extend the Spartans' lead to 3-1. Laux finished with three assists. Thirty-one seconds later, McFarland sophomore forward Jack McGinn scored a goal on assists by Laux and Bartzen, giving the Spartans a commanding 4-1 lead.
"We just weren't skating to the puck," Monroe coach Josh Smith said. "They were beating us to the puck. We let up. Right now, we are trying to put together three full periods of hockey. We are a very young team. I think a lot of it has to do with how young we are. The average age on our team is ninth grade."
Monroe sophomore goaltender Heath Bear had 41 saves.
"He played really well," Smith said of Bear. "I think he could have stopped maybe one or two more. When we are dropping the puck in front of our goal and they are getting rebounds, you can only stop so many."
Freshman Cade Kanecke had an opportunity for a breakaway one-on-one goal in the final 6 minutes, but his shot sailed wide of the far post past Monona Grove junior golaie Tucker Jarrett.
Monroe hosts Viroqua in a nonconference game at 7 p.m. today at SLICE.
"It's good to get them in the mentality that we lost, what can we take from this and move on," Smith said. "They (Viroqua) will be a very physical team. That's the style of hockey they play. We just have to be ready for that."
Kuberski is looking for the Cheesemakers to capitalize on more shots on the net.
"We just have to be more aggressive," he said. "We have to crash the net and put it in when it's floating in front of the goal like that."
The Spartans scored three goals and outshot the Cheesemakers 26-7 in a dominant second period to take control of the Badger South game. McFarland outshot Monroe 46-24 in the game. With the loss, Monroe drops to 1-6 overall, 0-2 Badger South.
"They (McFarland) were just more aggressive," Kuberski said. "They wanted it more than we did. I think we got a little bit cocky with it being 1-1."
McFarland senior forward Conor Wilson scored two goals, and sophomore forward Jack Bartzen had one goal and two assists to power the Spartans.
Early on, the game had the makings of a shootout. Bartzen scored a goal on an assist from junior Tyler Laux 25 seconds into the first period. Kuberski answered with a game-tying goal on assists from sophomore Ty O'Connor (Orangeville) and freshman Cooper Dreyfus (New Glarus) at 1 minute, 22 seconds to tie the game at 1. It stayed that way for the next 16 minutes.
"I just wanted to get to the net as fast as I could," Kuberski said. "I wasn't worried about shooting it. I just wanted to get to the net."
Wilson scored his first goal at 1:15 in the second period to give the Spartans a 2-1 lead. The Spartans scored three goals in a 5-minute stretch. McFarland sophomore Thor Rosten scored on assists by Laux and Bartzen at 3:58 in the second to extend the Spartans' lead to 3-1. Laux finished with three assists. Thirty-one seconds later, McFarland sophomore forward Jack McGinn scored a goal on assists by Laux and Bartzen, giving the Spartans a commanding 4-1 lead.
"We just weren't skating to the puck," Monroe coach Josh Smith said. "They were beating us to the puck. We let up. Right now, we are trying to put together three full periods of hockey. We are a very young team. I think a lot of it has to do with how young we are. The average age on our team is ninth grade."
Monroe sophomore goaltender Heath Bear had 41 saves.
"He played really well," Smith said of Bear. "I think he could have stopped maybe one or two more. When we are dropping the puck in front of our goal and they are getting rebounds, you can only stop so many."
Freshman Cade Kanecke had an opportunity for a breakaway one-on-one goal in the final 6 minutes, but his shot sailed wide of the far post past Monona Grove junior golaie Tucker Jarrett.
Monroe hosts Viroqua in a nonconference game at 7 p.m. today at SLICE.
"It's good to get them in the mentality that we lost, what can we take from this and move on," Smith said. "They (Viroqua) will be a very physical team. That's the style of hockey they play. We just have to be ready for that."
Kuberski is looking for the Cheesemakers to capitalize on more shots on the net.
"We just have to be more aggressive," he said. "We have to crash the net and put it in when it's floating in front of the goal like that."
