Tuesday HS sports round-up: Storm, East-Merrill and DCE fall in hockey openers while Marathon tops Newman in girls’ hoops.

The winter high school sports season is heating up with hockey action getting underway to go with girls’ basketball that started their seasons last week.

On the ice, in a game heard on 98.9 WXCO, the Central Wisconsin Storm started their season with a 2-1 loss to the Lakeshore Lightning at the Marathon Park Ice Arena. The Storm, who reached the WIAA state championship game in March, are looking to replace a lot of graduated production and insert a number of talented freshmen into the lineup. On Tuesday there were some growing pains, especially in the first period when Lakeshore outshot Central Wisconsin 20-5. However, Storm goalie Cami Flohr was stellar in keeping the game scoreless until the final minute of the period. Lakeshore was able to take a 1-0 lead when Chloe Katsma scored a 5 on 3 power play goal. It would stay that way until early in the third period when Ava Whitmore banked a shot off a Lakeshore player past goalie Elizabeth Bowers to even the score at 1. However, the Lightning took advantage of a Storm miscue as Kennedi Bystol broke in all alone against Flohr and scored the game-winning goal midway through the third period. Flohr finished with 31 saves for the Storm while Bowers stopped 27 shots for the Lightning.

In boys’ hockey the East-Merrill United Bluejacks saw a 4-2 second period lead evaporate in a 6-4 loss to Antigo at the Smith Center in Merrill. Jackson Pierce scored a pair of power play goals for the Bluejacks while Alex Brittenham scored twice for Antigo.

Also Tuesday D.C. Everest started their season with a 4-0 loss at Northland Pines. Wisconsin Rapids shutout West Salem 7-0, Waupaca beat Sheboygan 2-0, Rhinelander fell to Shawano/Bonduel 7-2 and the Northland Pines girls lost to Chippewa Falls/Menomonie 5-2.

In girls’ basketball, in another game broadcast on 98.9 WXCO, the Marathon Red Raiders improved to 2-0 overall in topping Newman Catholic 63-30 in the Marawood-South opener for both teams. Newman, who got 12 points from Aubrey Puent, falls to 1-2 overall. Maycie Myszka paced the Raiders with 15 points.

Other girls’ basketball scores:

Witt-Birn 69 Wausau West 29

Neenah 78 Marshfield 37

Stratford 49 Assumption 42

Auburndale 60 Edgar 35

Neillsville 54 Mosinee 41

Merrill @ Ashland PPD