Marshfield boys hockey rips Wisconsin Rapids, guarantees first winning season in two decades

MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield boys hockey team scored early, often and poured it on, routing Wisconsin Rapids 10-2 in a Wisconsin Valley Conference matchup Thursday night at the Marshfield Ice Arena.

Marshfield completes a season sweep of Wisconsin Rapids with the victory, and improves to 13-6 overall and 4-3 in WVC play. Rapids is now 8-10 and 2-5 in the conference.

The win marks a milestone for the Marshfield program as it has guaranteed a winning season for the first time since the Tigers finished 12-9-1 in the 1998-99 season. Marshfield has had two .500 seasons since then, in 2004-05 and 2011-12, but have not cracked that break-even mark in two decades.

The 13 wins is also a school record for Marshfield.

Max Heller netted a hat trick and added an assist for the Tigers, scoring twice in the first period.

Nate Boson added another goal in the first, and Marshfield scored the first three goals in the second – two by Sawyer Schindler and another by Heller – to make it 6-0 quickly.

Ryan Krueger, Justin Stanek, Nick Urban and Josh Gruen added goals for Marshfield.

A.J. Trierweiler had 20 saves in goal for the Tigers.

Marshfield returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Merrill/Wausau East at 7 p.m.

Tigers 10, Raiders 2
Wisconsin Rapids 0 1 1 – 2
Marshfield 3 5 2 – 10
First period: 1. M, Max Heller (Seth Peterson, Justin Stanek), 5:19; 2. M, Heller (Ben Lawyer, Stanek), 7:58; 3. M, Nate Boson (Isaiah Baierl, Evan Weister), 16:57.
Second period: 4. M, Sawyer Schindler (Ryan Krueger), 0:44; 5. M, Heller, 2:21; 6. M, Schindler (Krueger, Isaac Wellens), 2:37; 7. WR, Isaac Evenson (Colton Flammini, Jacob Dekarske), pp., 5:22; 8. M, Krueger, sh., 12:49; 9. M, Stanek (Heller), 14:17.
Third period: 10. M, Nick Urban (Baierl), 7:52; 11. WR, Flammini (Carson Gunderson, Keagan Christy), 8:20; 12. M, Josh Gruen (Ben Claessens, Baierl), 16:22.
Saves: WR, Tanner Reany 10, Trevin Milbauer 5, Torger Stachurski 7; M, A.J. Trierweiler 20.
Records: Wisconsin Rapids 8-10, 2-5 Wisconsin Valley Conference; Marshfield 13-6, 4-3 Wisconsin Valley Conference.