Wausau Pilot & Review
MADISON – Samantha Federici had a hat trick and goalie Chloe Lemke saved all 16 saves that came her way to lead the Central Wisconsin Storm to the state championship at the 2022 WIAA State Girls Hockey Tournament at the Alliant Energy Center on Saturday with a 5-0 win over Onalaska.
The Central Wisconsin Storm won its fourth state title in program history, having also 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, finishes the season with a 24-3 record).
Federici scored a pair of goals in the first period to give the Storm a quick 2-0 lead.
Gabi Heuser made it 3-0 with a goal with 4:37 to go in the second period, and Federici finished off her hat trick with a goal with 41 seconds to go in the period pushing the Storm’s lead to 4-0.
Heuser scored again on an empty net with 1:29 remaining in the game.
The win was truly a team effort as six different players assisted on the team’s five goals. Madi DePuydt had two assists, and Mackenzie Bautch, Tristan Wicklund, Hannah Baumann, Dru Sabatke and Logan Crawford also assisted on goals for the Storm.
In the boys state tournament, Hudson repeated as the Division 1 champions with a 6-2 in the final, and Rice Lake defeated defending champion Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs 4-3 in the Division 2 title match.
Storm 5, Hilltoppers 0
Onalaska 0 0 0 – 0
Central Wisconsin 2 2 1 – 5
First period: 1. CW, Samantha Federici (Mackenzie Bautch, Madi DePuydt), 6:04; 2. CW, Federici, sh., 9:38.
Second period: 3. CW, Gabi Heuser (Tristan Wicklund), 12:23; 4. CW, Federici (Hannah Baumann, Dru Sabatke), 16:19.
Third period: 5. CW, Heuser (Logan Crawford, DePuydt), en., 15:31.
Saves: O, Diana Hanson 8, Elsa Mitchell 0; CW, Chloe Lemke 16.
Records: Onalaska 24-5; Central Wisconsin 24-3.
