Boys, girls WIAA hockey brackets set

WAUSAU – The Wausau West and Stevens Point Area Senior High boys hockey teams are tied for first place in the Wisconsin Valley Conference standings. The programs also received the top two seeds in Sectional 3 for the WIAA postseason.

West (18-3-1) received a No. 1 seed for the eighth straight season and earned a first-round bye as did the Panthers (18-2-1), who are seeded second for the first time in four years.

The WIAA boys and girls hockey seeds were released Sunday evening and the Central Wisconsin Storm received a No. 1 seed for the girls postseason for the 10th straight year.

The boys and girls hockey playoffs begins with boys regional semifinals on Feb. 14 and boys and girls regional title games on Feb. 16 or Feb. 17. The boys and girls state tournament is scheduled for March 2-4 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Madison.

West and SPASH are among four local boys hockey teams who received a first round bye. West hosts the winner of the first-round matchup eighth-seeded East/Merrill and No. 9 Rhinelander/Three Lakes in a regional title game at Marathon Park.

SPASH will play either No. 7 Lakeland/Mercer and No. 10 at K.B. Willett Ice Arena. Lakeland/Mercer hosts No. 10 Tomahawk in the opening round.

D.C. Everest received the No. 3 seed  in the sectional and hosts the winner of the matchup between sixth-seeded Wisconsin Rapids and No. 11 Pacelli.

Mosinee is seeded fifth and travels to No. 4 Northland Pines for a regional title game.

The sectional title game will be played at 2 p.m. Feb 25 at the Mosinee Recreation Center.

Antigo which beat Wausau West for the sectional title last season but is  No. 3 seed in Sectional 5 this season. The Red Robins received a bye and host either No. 6 Bay Port or the No. 11  Green Bay East Co-op in a regional title game.

Marshfield is seeded seventh in Sectional 2 and hosts No. 10 Neillsville/Black River Falls in a regional semifinal. The winner advances to face No. 2 Chippewa Falls.

Medford is seeded eighth in the same regional and host No. 9 Regis in the opening round. The winner faces No. 1 Eau Claire Memorial in a regional title game.

Hudson (Sectional 1), West Salem/Bangor (Sectional 4), Neenah (Sectional 5), Verona (Sectional 6), Waukesha North Co-op (Sectional 7) and Arrowhead (Sectional 8) received top seeds as well.

The Central Wisconsin Storm, who have won nine straight sectional titles, host No. 8 Medford in a regional title game in Sectional 2  on Feb. 16

Rapids/Point/Marshfield earned the second seed in the sectional and host the No. 7 Rhinelander co-op in a regional title matchup. Lakeland/Mercer/Tomahawk is seeded fifth and opens the postseason against No. 4 Northland Pines.

The sectional title game is set for 7 p.m. Feb. 24.

Neillsville/Black River Falls is seeded fourth in Sectional 3 and hosts Onalaska in a regional final. The Sun Prairie Co-op is seeded first in the sectional, and Hudson (Sectiona 1) and the Fond du Lac Co-op (Sectional 4) both received top seeds as well.

Tim Johnson: 715-845-0731, or timothy.johnson@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @timmyjo1