The West Bend Power have two games on tap this weekend, hosting the Fox Cities Forge on Friday, October 23, at noon before traveling to Tomah to face the Wisconsin Woodsmen on Sunday, October 25, at 2:00 p.m.
Friday’s game at Kettle Moraine Ice Center, sponsored by The Shoppe Custard and Grill, has been moved to noon to give fans time to enjoy Power hockey before Game One of the World Series that evening. All tickets are just $5! Fans are encouraged to wear their best Brewers gear or Halloween costume and enjoy an afternoon of hockey, fun, and trick-or-treating at the rink.
The Power enter the weekend atop the Central Division with a 7-0-0-1 record and 15 points following a 5-1 victory over the Rochester Grizzlies. Fox Cities sits at 1-7-0 with two points after splitting a series with the Wausau Cyclones. Wisconsin carries a 7-3-1-0 record and 15 points into the weekend, coming off an overtime win over Rochester.
West Bend has won both meetings with Fox Cities this season. Sunday’s matchup will mark the Power’s first meeting with the Woodsmen.
Shaun Paulson leads the Power offense with 15 points, followed by Adam Sexton with 14 and Josh Graves with 12. Roman Barnes paces the Forge with 11 points, while Jarek Solak has six.
Special teams could play a key role in both matchups. The Power enter the weekend converting on 26.3% of their power-play opportunities, compared with 12.5% for Fox Cities and 20.0% for Wisconsin. West Bend has killed off 91.67% of its penalties, while the Forge sit at 64.86%. The Woodsmen lead the league with a 95% penalty-kill rate.
“We have two different opponents with two different challenges. We don’t change who we are based on who we play, we stay consistent and true to our game. Different opponent, same standard,” said Power Assistant Coach Paul Graef.
Catch the Power at KMIC on Friday afternoon, and follow both games live on NATV.