TOMAH, Wis. — When the Wisconsin Woodsmen took the ice Friday evening against the West
Bend Power, they knew they were going to have their hands full.
After all, the Power entered the evening as the No. 1 team in the Central Division, and had
erupted for a combined 16 goals in the teams’ previous two meetings two weeks ago.
And West Bend once again flexed its offensive muscle on Friday, scoring early — 41 seconds
into the opening period — and often in dealing the Woodsmen a 6-2 setback before a sellout
crowd at the Tomah Ice Center.
Jozef Silhar and the Power did not waste any time silencing the raucous home crowd, scoring
just 41 seconds into the opening period.
Silhar was at it again in the second period, needing just the frame’s first 31 seconds to extend
the Power advantage to 2-0. Nolan Mix answered nine seconds later to cut the Woodsmen
deficit back to one.
And the second-period fireworks were just getting started.
West Bend would score three more times — including a pair from Quinn O’Connor — while
Vincent Greene would also find the back of the net for the Woodsmen, leaving Wisconsin
staring at a 5-2 deficit heading into the game’s final 20 minutes of play.
Wisconsin would pepper nine shots at West Bend goalie Adam Prokop in the third period, but
were unable to light the lamp, while Jackson Hoem would beat Woodsmen goalie Steven
Prokop midway through the stanza to round out the scoring.
Johnny Thrasher picked up assists on both Woodsmen goals, while Cole Schreiber and Tristen
May-Robinson also collected helpers. Kelley, meanwhile, finished with 27 saves between the
pipes for Wisconsin.
The Woodsmen will wrap up their 2024-25 regular-season schedule on Saturday, traveling to
the Rochester Rec Center in Rochester, Minn., for a 7:05 p.m. NA3HL showdown against the
Rochester Grizzlies.
