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Bantam B’s wrap up season
Middleton bantams
The Monroe Bantam B team lost 6-1 to Middleton Feb. 23.

MONROE — The last weekend of February brought a wide range of weather and possibly the last games of the season for the Bantam B squad. 

Icy road conditions in the morning of Feb. 23 did not prevent Monroe from traveling to Middleton to take on the Wings’ C team. The Avalanche had tied and lost to this team earlier in the season and were looking to even it up, but lost 6-1.

Monroe would score first, as Easton Dreyfus drove home a perfect pass from Payton Hathaway less than a minute into the game to put the Avalanche up 1-0. The rest of the game went the Wings’ way, as they pelted goalie Xander Obert with 55 shots. Obert would stop 49.

After a lengthy break, the Avalanche returned to Capitol Ice to take on the Wings’ B team in a late game addition. Monroe was unable to find its groove in this game against the much faster Wings, who would out-shoot Monroe 48-17 and win 12-2. 

Sergio Fletcher would crush Middleton’s shutout hopes in the second period, hitting the back of the net off of a pass from Aidan Grey. Grey would score as well, taking a pass from Easton Dreyfus and sneaking it past the Wings’ net minder. Obert recorded 36 saves in a busy day in net. 

Sauk bantams
The Avalanche’s regular season schedule came to a close with a 6-3 loss to Sauk Prairie Feb. 24. The Bantam B team finished the season with 16-17-1 record. There is still a chance for one two more games to be played this weekend.

Feb. 24 brought high winds and another high-powered offense in Sauk Prairie, which won 6-3. 

Monroe started off promising, with Payton Hathaway taking a perfect pass from behind the net by Haden Barker and one-timed it for an easy goal. Easton Dreyfus followed suit when Aidan Grey dished the puck to him on a breakaway a little over a minute later, putting the Avalanche up 2-0 early in the first period. 

Sauk Prairie rattled off three unanswered goals to end the first, 3-2, and had 24 shots on goal in the second period, but goalie Xander Obert denied all of them. Sauk would score twice early in the third, putting the game effectively out of reach. 

Aidan Grey snapped a wrister through late in the third, but Sauk sealed the victory on an empty net goal with a minute left. Obert finished with 51 saves in the game, a season high, and had 136 in the three games over the weekend. 

There are currently no further games are scheduled, although there is the possibility of a home doubleheader March 3rd. The Avalanche Bantam B’s record this year is 16-17-1. 

The Bantam A squad plays in the state playoffs the first weekend in March in Amery.