By Jacob Heid

STEVENS POINT — The Stevens Point Area Senior High boys’ hockey team is looking for another WVC title in 2022-23. The Panthers are out to a good start, opening the conference season 3-0 after a 7-0 win over D.C. Everest on Dec. 20. Jackson Spees and Jackson Schroeder each ripped two goals in the first period for SPASH. 

One thing to note about the Panthers is that they attack. They have yet to give up a point in 151 minutes of conference play. They crash the net and dominate the boards, allowing them to get ahead early. That’s exactly what happened against the Evergreens. 

Sophomore Jackson Schroeder found a rebound about a minute into the game, burying it into the back of the net. The Panthers continued to attack, not allowing a D.C. Everest shot on goal for most of the first period. A few minutes later, Jackson Spees caught a deflection in front of the net that got past keeper Griffen Bunnell. Seconds later, SPASH made it a 3-0 game with 11:27 remaining in the period. 

Spees and Schroeder opened the game up 5-0 by the end of the first period. Schroeder has a team-high eight goals in seven games, while senior Kade Smigaj gained his 11th assist on the goal. The Panthers outshot the Evergreens 10-2 in the opening 17 minutes.

SPASH opened the second period by maintaining the same pressure as the first, scoring its sixth goal of the game with 14 minutes left in the second. Senior Gavin Dillingham got credit for that one. With now a running clock, the period flew by, but not without another goal. Maksim Salienko closed out the scoring in the game by making it 7-0 late in the second. Junior Jamie Reeve dished his third assist of the night on the final goal. SPASH dominated the offensive zone all night, 31 shots to D.C. Everest’s six. Along with goaltender Hunter Christjohn allowing zero goals in the first three conference games, SPASH is also the least penalized team in the conference thus far. 

The Panthers’ next conference game is the rescheduled game at Wausau West on Jan. 3. SPASH is back home against Wisconsin Rapids on Jan. 5.