Wausau Pilot & Review
MADISON – The Central Wisconsin Storm will skate for a state championship after downing the Metro Lynx (Middleton Co-op) 4-1 in a semifinal at the 2022 WIAA State Girls Hockey Tournament at the Alliant Energy Center on Thursday.
The Storm (23-3) will take on Onalaska (24-4) for the state championship at 12:10 p.m. on Saturday.
The Central Wisconsin Storm is searching for its fourth state title, having won championships in 2008, 2012, and 2017.
The Storm, a co-op team comprised of players from D.C. Everest, Marathon, Merrill, Mosinee, Wausau East and Wausau West high schools, fell behind 1-0 after a goal midway through the first period by the Lynx’s Kaya Byce.
The Storm regrouped after the intermission and scored three times in a span of 8½ minutes to take control.
Dru Sabatke, Logan Crawford and Gabrielle du Vair had goals for the Storm in the second period, and Hannah Baumann added another on an empty net with 1:27 remaining in the third to finish off the victory.
Claire Calmes saved 18 shots in goal for the Storm.
In Division 2 semifinals in the boys state tournament on Thursday, Rice Lake defeated Lakeland 3-1 and Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs topped Baldwin-Woodville/St. Croix Falls 4-1. The two winners will meet in the D-2 state championship game at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Hudson will take on University School of Milwaukee at 10 a.m. and Green Bay Notre Dame will face Madison Edgewood at 12:15 p.m. on Friday in Division 1 state semifinals. The Division 1 boys state final will be Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
All three of Saturday’s championship games will be televised live on WAOW-TV 9 of Wausau.s
Storm 4, Lynx 1
Metro 1 0 0 – 1
Central Wisconsin 0 3 1 – 4
First period: 1. M, Kaya Byrce (Emma Stebbeds), 9:16.
Second period: 2. CW, Dru Sabatke (Samantha Federici), 3:57; 3. CW, Logan Crawford (Ava Rode, Tristan Wicklund), 6:46; 4. CW, Gabrielle de Vair (Hannah Baumann, Sabatke), pp., 12:21.
Third period: 5. CW, Baumann (Federici, Rode), 15:33.
Saves: M, Addie Armstrong 19, Abby Nutini 1; CW, Claire Calmes 18.
Records: Metro Lynx 22-4; Central Wisconsin 22-3.
