The 2023-24 regular season has come and gone for the Cap City Cougars girls hockey program. The Cougars wound up with a 7-16-1 overall record this season, including a 5-6-1 mark in Badger Conference play. Things wrapped up in a rough way on Tuesday, Feb. 6 as Cap City suffered a 10-0 home loss to non-conference Bay Area.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) state tournament offers a chance at redemption, on multiple levels. The Cougars earned themselves the No. 5 seed in Sectional 4. They’ll be up against a familiar foe in the regional opener as they’ll travel to play No. 4 seed Baraboo on Thursday, Feb. 15. These two Badger Conference rivals are quite familiar with each other, having met twice in the regular season.
The first went in favor of the Cougars, a dramatic 4-3 win on the Badger Lightning’s home ice. With the game tied with about five minutes to play, junior defenseman Olivia Dull (Waunakee) took an assist from junior Tahni Barger (DeForest) and buried the game-winning goal. In a game defined by its penalties, nine in all handed out, Cap City made better on them with one power play goal in the first period and another in the second. Baraboo only connected on one of its four opportunities.
The Badger Lightning would have their revenge at the Sun Prairie Ice Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 23 as they shut the Cougars out in a 3-0 victory. Baraboo senior goalie Alyssa Gada delivered a stellar evening of work, saving all 35 shots aimer her way. The Badger Lightning showed improvement on their penalty kill, as well, denying Cap City on all four special teams opportunities.
That loss to Baraboo sent Cap City spiraling to end the regular season. The Cougars went winless in their final six games of the year with five losses and a tie. Baraboo, on the other hand, went on to beat three more conference opponents in Beaver Dam, Stoughton, and Viroqua to narrowly outpace Cap City in the final Badger standings. The Badger Lightning earned six wins for 12 points and fifth place, beating out the Cougars in sixth with five wins and a tie for 11 points.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM on Thursday, Feb. 15 at Baraboo’s Pierce Park Pavilion. The winner will advance to the regional championship, where they’ll meet the No. 1 seed and this season’s Badger Conference champion, Rock County. The Fury swept both Cap City and Baraboo this season, escaping the Cougars 2-1 in overtime in both meetings while the Badger Lightning suffered losses of 7-3 and 5-2.
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BAY AREA 10, CAP CITY 0
Goals- Bay Area: Addison Dahl (2), Julianna Bradford (2), Kristina Kruse (2), Addison Gady (2), Faye Brunke, Sophie Gemignani. Cap City: N/A.
Assists- Bay Area: Emily Bill (3), Kruse (2), Dahl, Bradford, Brunke, Rachael Beeck, Ava McDonald, Claire Gerarden, Hannah Von Haden, Brynn Osbahr. Cap City: N/A.
Goaltending- Bay Area: Reese Spiering, 6 saves on 6 shots (100%). Cap City: Sofia Martinelli, 29 saves on 33 shots (88%). Jaelyn Welch, 9 saves on 15 shots (60%).
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