December 2006

"Winging" In the New Year

By Joel Dohmeier, President, MYH

I am pleased to report that our transition as an association into playing Division 1 schedules (while still officially a Division 2 club for playoff purposes this season) is going quite well! As I look up and down the Region 4 Hockey Council website which lists league as well as overall team records, Middleton is very competitive at all levels. Playing at the highest competitive levels will stretch our kid's abilities and help each team (as well as the club) identify the areas that we need to provide more attention to during practices.

For example, at our youngest travel team level, the Mites, Middleton's teams have a combined 16-3-3 record through December 10th (at least what's been put on the Region 4 site)! The Squirts are playing .500 hockey; the U-12 Girls are undefeated; the three Pee Wee teams are a combined 22-13-4 highlighted by our Pee Wee B team taking second in the Fond du Lac tournament; and our Bantam teams, while under .500, are playing extremely competitive week in and week out. This is gratifying to see and a testament to the kids, parents, and the dedicated coaching staffs and Board of Directors that we have here in Middleton Youth Hockey.

The other gratifying item that I'd like to mention, especially for those of us that have been involved with the club since its early beginnings, is seeing some of our former Wings playing high school hockey for the Middleton Cardinals. If you haven't had the opportunity to watch the Cardinals JV and/or Varsity hockey squads, I encourage you and your son/daughter to attend. The High School coaches (Steve and Tony Libert) have been very supportive of our program and I'd like to see a swell of Wing's families in attendance at Cardinal home games.

Finally, as the holiday season approaches, it is a time to reflect and be thankful for what we have, while spending time with our loved ones. Please take time out to enjoy the holiday season and all it has to offer. I also look forward to a strong second half of the season for the Middleton Wings, and each team's march towards playoffs and trips to their respective State Tournaments. GO WINGS!

Initiation News

The Initiation Program is off to a great 2006-2007 season. Coach Mike McKersie enthusiastically leads the group on the ice; Team representative Mandy Ayers, tirelessly keeps all of the families well informed through e-mails. The 22 skaters in the program this year include: Camryn McKersie, Ace Ayers, Zack Hurst, Bo Bergeuthal, David Vodenlich, Alex Schuster, Alex Hovind, Reed Kochan, Blake Kalscheur, Nick Leffel, Nathan Kapp, Noah Haberkorn, Alex Duchemin, Jake Jordan, Emma & Will Ranheim, Vincent Joswiak, Drake Semrad, Tommy Weis, Kevin Walther, Tyler Huff and Dylan Carrington.

Welcome to all the new families and thank you to those parents helping out on the ice - it really makes a big difference in being able to teach the skaters the game!

The Initiation Program focuses on the fundamentals of hockey. Skaters currently learn about stick holding and puck (and sometimes tennis ball) handling. All the skaters have mastered the skill of falling and getting up quickly - (good thing they are all close to the ice!!) Other skating drills aim to teach the kids about stopping, gliding and simply enjoying their time on the ice.

After the holidays, the skaters will start learning "the game" of hockey. Although, we do not anticipate playing other club programs, the skaters will start playing each other. EVERYONE SAY "PIZZA" - The Initiation Program enjoyed a pizza party at Vitense Golf Land on December 9, 2006, where parents and skaters socialized and enjoyed some great food. The skaters seemed to like the miniature golf and game room the most... and we all had a great time.

Again, welcome to all the new families. Happy Holidays from the Initiation Program!

Cross Ice Atoms Red 2006-2007 Team Update

If you want to find a visual definition for camaraderie come and watch the Middleton Cross-Ice Atoms Red Team. This scruffy bunch of boys of varying heights, weights, and experience levels has recently come together to form a team that works as a unit. We lucky parents see our boys beginning to pass to each other and learning to position themselves in front of the opponents net to receive passes as well. We see them coming around from behind the net to pop that puck in past the unsuspecting spare tire goalie. On the defensive end of the rink we see tremendous enthusiasm as our players have literally thrown themselves in front of the net to stop an opponent's shot.

When you look at our team photo you are struck by the fact that we are a small team. But do not be deceived, we are big at heart. We are also actually bigger than the photo would suggest. We have a couple more players than are pictured. #9 Sam Robertson is a player to be reckoned with. With his small stature he is easily overlooked to the opponent's dismay. He plays big and no opponent will forget it. Also not pictured is #37 Cole Phillips, a late acquisition by the team that has paid off in spades. This is a boy who is picking up the game like a natural. He is a real asset to the team. If you've watched #27, Jack Rader (bottom right in the photo), you will have noticed right away that this is a guy who has a nose for the puck. Where ever it is he is sure to be there and sure to be an impact player. We are also seeing the development of offensive strategy between #25 William Donohoe (top left in photo) and #8 Billy McCarthy (bottom left in photo). These two boys have assisted each other in an ever increasing number of goals. Not to be outdone in the area of strategizing are #2 George Kao (middle top in photo) and #26 Jack Zweifel (middle bottom in photo). These two can be seen putting their heads together while sitting on the pads and then bursting onto the ice to put their well-conceived offensive and defensive strategies into action.

The brain trust of this heralded organization is none other than Walter Kao, our dedicated coach. If your image of Walter doesn't match the coach in this photo, well you're right, Walter is not pictured in this photo. We purposely kept him out to make it more difficult for opposing teams to identify him and lure him away to other teams with promises of lucrative contracts. Walter brings that much sought after balance of encouragement and skills training to the ice and to our kids. For that, we are greatly appreciative. Thus far, Walter has helped shape a team in which our kids to feel successful and valued. This has resulted in a team that plays each game with unrelenting effort and lot of high-5's and back-slapping. Just what you want for your kid's early hockey experience. It's a great hockey season! Go RED!

Hello from the U8 Rink Rats hockey team.

Our group includes skaters Carter Trollop, Emery Goeden, Sydnee Herrling, Connor Juius, Mitchell Giroux, Joshua Kuhn, Dominic Habhab, and Sean Sullivan. The coaching ranks are filled by Mike Sullivan (Head Coach) and Scott Trollop (Assistant Coach).

We are approximately two months into the season and everything is going well. According to Coach Sullivan the players are improving their individual skills as well as their team play. More importantly Coach Sullivan states the players are enjoying themselves both at practice and during the games.

Speaking of games so far this season we have played Waunakee, Janesville, Southwest and three Polar Caps teams. During those games a different player has gotten to play goalie. The players appear to really appreciate the opportunity to play goalie. It sure gives them a different perspective on the game and a appreciation for what it takes to play goalie.

Lastly, we are looking ahead to the New Year and the start of the second half of the season.

U10 Rink Rats

The U10 Rink Rats, under the patient direction of coach John Haberkorn, have made great strides during the first part of their season. The members of the team have worked hard at practice to further develop their hockey fundamentals: skating, passing, and puck control. As they have continued to feel more confident in their own abilities, the speed of their play has increased as has their desire to keep pushing to learn new skills. One of the new skills that has been fun to watch develop is learning to play the goalie position. Several kids have had their first experience playing goalie during the first several weeks of games and all have looked forward to the opportunity.

The games on Sunday are a highlight for the players and parents. It's a treat to watch these kids give it their all on the ice and work together to get the puck down the ice and in to the opponents net. In fact, they have become proficient goal scorers, in several games, the Rink Rats have scored 15+ goals!

The smiles on their faces and their enthusiasm for learning the game is a real inspiration - they clearly are having fun!

Team members are: Andy Emmons, Jarrett Futch, Maddy Matush, Alec McIntosh, Emily Seifriz, Tucker Stampen, Michael Wadzinski, Matthew Wakai, Tony Wuesthofen

Mite B Team News

The Middleton Wings Mite B Team for 2006-2007 is: Luke Dietzen, Zak Zuengler, Samuel Rogers, Sam Jensen, Keaton Shaw, Kevin Walker, Tyler Dohmeier, Zach Heidel, D.J. Miller, Hunter Kowalski, Hunter Anderson, Wesley Rock and Max Maegaard.

Their Coaches are: Head Coach Scott Kowalski and Assistant Coaches Joel Dohmeier and Mark Maegaard. The Team Representative is Tom Walker and the Tournament Representative is Tim Jensen.

So far this season we have six wins, one tie and two losses. We are looking forward to tournaments in Eagle River and Beaver Dam later this season before hosting the Mite B Tournament at Capitol Ice to finish the season.

Mite C Team News

"I never imagined how much my son would get out of playing hockey." "It's amazing the respect Coach Greg Baer has instilled in the entire team." "We love the team philosophy - learn about life while you learn hockey." What's important to coach is passed on at the rink -- personal responsibility, teamwork, respect (the older players look out for the younger ones), commitment and a positive attitude.

Additional characteristics of the Mite C team - enjoyment of the game, looking forward to practice, having fun, skating hard, no penalties - we've only had one so far this season. The players include Colin Butler, Bryce Carey, Zachary Carpenter, Ryan Hessenauer, Sam Inman, Ross Johnson, Brodie Kaufman, Taylor Kochan, Alex Nisbet, Mac Schmidt, Bryce Schuster, Zach Straus, Vincent Weis, ranging in age from 5 to 8 years.

The Mite C team has learned from each game, grown in experience and confidence on the ice. It's wonderful to have the coaching support of Rick Weiser, Alex Weis and Pat Hessenauer. Just as great are the enthusiastic parents who cheer, keep score, run the time clock and penalty box - there are always more than enough offers to help. Parents attend not only the games with full enthusiasm, they attend practices too (where they try to avoid eye contact with their waving boys to prevent them from having to do push ups should they miss out on instruction for the next drill).

The Mite Cs have played mostly Mite B teams (as many associations only have two Mite-level teams). The Mite C record so far is 4-1-1. But what's most important to these boys is not how many they've won but how much they've bettered themselves as individuals and as a team. Friendships have been forged among players on and off ice as well as amongst the parents and families. The team has gotten together for bagels and is in the process of planning a get-together during the holiday break. They look forward to several more game by year end and a Mite C tournament in early January, during which one of the many highlights will be swimming and eating pizza together at the hotel. "Coach Baer is a blessing to these boys. They will take this experience with them in the years to come."

Squirt A Team

The Squirt A Team is off to a positive start to the season with a young team. We just finished our first tournament, hosted by Waunakee, and lost in the championship game in overtime against Elmbrook. Our outstanding goalie, Zach Kasdorf, had over 120 saves in the tournament.

Our team consists of returning Squirts Theran Semrad, Charlie Stankiewicz, Taylor Dickert, Ryan Dohmeier, Matthew Carr, Emma Vincent and Zach Kasdorf and new Squirts Eric Karwoski, Max McConnell, Nikko Miller, Mitchell Maegaard, Joey Duff, Carlton Henry, Blake Carey and Michael Bakken. The Squirt A team is coached by Mike Bakken, Mark Maegaard and Dave Semrad.

The team is looking forward to a Mosinee tournament over New Year's weekend, a tournament in Hudson in February, along with our home tournament in late February. We're looking forward to the rest of the season as our skaters build confidence, skills and cohesiveness as a team.

Squirt B News

The Squirt B team has been working hard! They have been learning a lot in practice and applying those skills on game day! Their record as of 12/15/06 is 4 wins, 7 losses & 2 ties. In our game against Sauk Prairie 2 of our players had hat tricks! All of the players have been taking turns playing all positions (except goalie) on the team. This way they learn how to play all positions. 

We are getting ready for our first tournament on January 12-14 in West Bend. Our team consists of Kevin Ripp, Sage Williamson, Josh Zeitlow, David Hungness, Nolan Kouba, Ted Mckee, Meagan Sheehan, Robert Brill, Jordann Herrling, Macrea Robertson, Andrew Habhab and Ty Westrick. The goalies are Hunter Kurbel & Jordan Kaschinske. Head Coach is Tom Herrling & Asst. Coaches are John Sheehan, Larry Kurbel & Kevin Robertson.

Girls U12 – Tough to Beat!

The Wings U12 girls are just getting started in League play, but after just a few games, are clearly looking like the team to beat in Region 4 action. The team is represented from players on our Peewee A, B & C teams as well as Squirt A and B.

Returning from last years U10 State Championship team is Leah Carey, Carly Kirkpatrick, goalie Hunter Kurbel, Jordann Herrling, Emma Vincent, Samantha Hall, Alexa Jaume, Sage Willamson and Meagan Sheehan.

Bolstering this years attack is Gretchen Cope, Rachel Kouba and Amy Wohlleber. Enjoying the action from the bench are coaches Larry Kurbel, Tom Wohlleber, Tom Herrling and Ron Vincent.

The Peewee A Wings are off to a solid start – improving and growing as a team each week.

The team recently traveled to Eagle River for an early season 12 team tourney.

After a close 2-1 battle over Ozaukee County in which the Wings spent half the game with a player in the penalty box, the team then crushed Marquette MI 8-1 to earn a spot in the semi-final round vs Stevens Point. The Wings battled back from 1 goal deficits 3 times to tie the game late in the 3rd period 3-3, then won it 4-3 in an exciting overtime finish. In the championship game vs Escanaba MI, the Wings fortunes changed as the team once again spent nearly half the game with a player in the penalty box.

Leading 2-1 with less than a minute to play, the Wings found themselves down a player – enabling Escanaba to tie the game with only 12 seconds remaining. Just a minute into overtime, the Wings again sent a player to the penalty box - and Escanaba scored on the ensuing face-off with a deflected shot from the point. Stunned but great overall effort!

The PW A Wings are led by the solid goaltending of Dylan Kurbel and returning A team members John Gillis and Tony Schaller. Rounding out the offensive charge is Chase Dickert, Tyler Laux, Scott Berthiaume, Jordan Carey, Danny Klagos and Ben Peterson. The defensive corps include Scott Bauer, Leah Carey, Ethan Mcleod and Mike Carr. Coaching for the PW team is Larry Kurbel, Dave Bauer and Kent Klagos.

Pee Wee B Hockey

Reported by Kristie Ash, age 8

The team welcomed Hunter Lamer to our club. His family moved to Middleton just to play hockey. How cool is that? The team is working well together and getting enthusiastic about games. Coach Boyd and Coach Sheehan are really good.

The Pee Wee Bs played a tournament in Fond du Lac and got second place. As an incentive if they got first place Nico and Hunter agreed to shave their heads. They played well but got second to Milwaukee Winter Club. Kevin got a hat trick and Dominic got a shut out in the tournament. Carly and Gretchen even checked 300 pound boys.

Though seeing friends play hockey maybe fun for some people, I do not like to watch games. I don't understand the point of going to a freezing cold ice arena and watch people get hurt. Sadie and I do enjoy collecting quarters for each goal scored and eating pizza with the team.

Pee Wee C News

The Pee Wee C team is off to a great start this year with an overall record of 6-3-3 and a league record of 4-0-1. Recently, the team stepped up to fill in for a team that dropped out of a Waunakee B-C tournament. The competition was tough but the Pee Wee C skaters proved their endurance and skated hard through all five games that weekend, including a league game.

The Pee Wee C team consists of 14 players: Joshua Coyne, Rachel Kouba, Micah Tysk, Samantha Hall, Jacob Birrenkott, Andrew Walther, Alexa Jaume, Dylan Wetzel, Kevin Karwoski, Grant Levenick, Nate Kaufman, Matthew Hong, Amy Wohlleber, Justin Rindfleisch. A key factor to the team's success so far is the team's solid goaltending by goalies Grant Levenick and Andrew Walther.

The team is also fortunate to have three great coaches, Tom Wohlleber and Dave Hall as lead coaches and Rick Weiser as the assistant coach. The coaches maintain a positive attitude throughout the games. The players have learned a lot during practice under their guidance.

The Pee Wee C team will be playing in three away tournaments this year, one in Onalaska, Badger State Games in Medford and one in Wausau.

Bantam A's Young, But Competitive

The Middleton Wings Bantam A team has played a very aggressive schedule against top teams from all over the State and with the exception of one game, has been very competitive (mostly one and two goal games). While currently under .500 for the season, the team is young, with over half of their roster comprised of first-year Bantams. However, these games against top competition are stretching the kid's skills, which the coaching staff feels will pay dividends for State Playoffs come February.

The team is comprised of: Logan Dohmeier, Todd Koritzinsky, Luke Bjorklund, Scott Carey, Patrick Berthieume, Riley Kirkpatrick, Sean Murphy, Alex Hall, Jake Pellett, Adam Schwartz, Mitchell Johnson, Zak Williams, Brandon Schaller, Eli Rosen and John McDonald. Head Coach is Keith Schmudlach, and his Assistant Coaches are Joel Dohmeier and Jason DiPiazza. Gayle Pellett is the Team Representative and Lori Murphy collects and posts team statistics on the Wings website.

The highlight of the season to-date came in a 2-1 win over Beloit, whom only has 2 losses in 14 games played this year. Todd Koritzinsky scored the game winning goal (his second of the game) with 45 seconds left on the clock and Logan Dohmeier turned back 36 shots to lead the Wings. Overall, it was a great performance by the Wings and provided them with an indication of what they are capable of when working together, keeping the game simple and expending maximum effort each and every time out on the ice. Go Wings!

Bantam B Team

Hockey season brings with it late practices, hard work, improved skills, and lots of fun. The Middleton Wings Bantam B team has had its share of all of those experiences. The Team began its' season by taking a day long trip to Green Bay to play two of Green Bay's Bantam teams. Winning the first game 7-4, Wings center Jaron McCallum exhibited the great teamwork being learned by assisting 3 goals and earning a Playmaker patch. Skating short handed and with little rest, the Wings fell in their second game of the day, 1-12. The Wings gave it their all in true Middleton fashion facing the competition of a Division 1 club.

The Bantam B team began their league game play on November 12 when they faced the Monroe Bantam B team in Monroe. The Wings took a disappointing 0-5 loss. The Team bounced back the following weekend to defeat Beloit 7-0 in their first match up this season. Defensemen Bobby Culliton, Mitchell Kluender, Chris West, James Ward, and Tyler Krause earned their Defense patches while helping Goalie Devin Kaschinske earn a Shut Out patch. On November 25, the Wings celebrated their rematch against Monroe with a 5-1 win.

The first tournament attended by the Bantam B team was LaCrosse's annual Fire on Ice Tournament held December 9 -10. Middleton faced a great Goalie and strong defense in their first game - losing to Tomah. A disappointing loss in the second game, to Appleton, didn't stop the Wings from having fun. In their final tournament game, the Wings faced SHAW. Middleton beat SHAW at home early in the season with a score of 3-2. The rivalry heated up quickly as SHAW put the puck in the net first. Middleton stayed sharp and came back to tie the game. The excitement during the game was fantastic as the two teams battled to come out on top. SHAW won this match up, 3-2.

The Middleton Wings Bantam B team is looking forward to an exciting season with some great match up's coming our way. They are especially excited to be participating in the Badger State Games in January 2007. In addition to the players already mentioned, the Bantam B team includes: Josh Adler, Cody Gregson, Blake Jens, Chase Lynch, Jordan Masliah, Eric Staus, Dave Watson, Noah Wolffe, and Zac Zeitlow. Bantam B coaches include Todd Culliton, Scott Jens, and Dan Masliah. The Bantam B team wishes success to all of the Wings Teams this season - GO WINGS !

For more information, visit the Middleton Wings Web site at http://www.middletonhockey.com