High School

De Pere Co-op Delivers Dominant Effort To Capture Wisconsin (WIAA) State Girls Hockey Championship

Pulaski junior forward Faye Brunke scores state final record four goals as Bay Area Ice Bears complete magical season with 8-0 victory over defending champion D.C. Everest

Jeff Hagenau

De Pere Co-op Bay Area Ice Bears pose with the 2025 WIAA State Girls Hockey Championship trophy after defeating the D.C. Everest Co-op on Saturday March 8, 2025 at the Bob Suter's Legacy20 Arena in Middleton, Wis.
De Pere Co-op Bay Area Ice Bears pose with the 2025 WIAA State Girls Hockey Championship trophy after defeating the D.C. Everest Co-op on Saturday March 8, 2025 at the Bob Suter's Legacy20 Arena in Middleton, Wis. / Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MIDDLETON, Wis. - The top-seeded De Pere Co-op high school girls hockey team completed a magical season with a dominant 8-0 victory over the second-seeded and defending champion D.C. Everest Co-op in the finals of the Wisconsin (WIAA) state tournament at Bob Suter's Legacy20 Arena on Saturday.

It was the second state championship in the last three years for the high-octane De Pere Co-op, which finished the season with a statement-making 27-1 overall record. The team (also affectionately known as the Bay Area Ice Bears) advanced to the title game with Thursday's quarterfinal victory over the fourth-seeded Sun Prairie West Co-op (4-0).

The standout collective effort took on added significance as it avenged a stinging 4-3 loss to D.C. Everest in the 2024 state finals.

The Bay Area Ice Bears, making their fifth trip to the tournament, combined to outscore their two opponents by a 12-0 margin en route to the third state title in team history.

Pulaski junior forward Faye Brunke scored a state finals record four goals and contributed two assists to lead the De Pere Co-op. De Pere senior forward Rachael Beeck, De Pere senior forward Julianne Bradford, Ashwaubenon senior forward Emily Bill, and Bay Port sophomore forward Lily Lyons, each added a goal. Bill also collected a team-best four assists.

West De Pere sophomore goalie Reese Spiering was a stabilizing force throughout the contest, registering 16 saves to preserve a shutout.

The D.C. Everest Co-op (also known as the Central Wisconsin Storm), which ended the season 23-6 overall, advanced to the finals with a hard-fought victory over the third-seeded Eau Claire North Co-op in Thursday's semifinals (4-3).

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-- Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com

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Jeff Hagenau
JEFF HAGENAU

Jeff Hagenau has been a sports writer in southeast Wisconsin for the past 28 years, covering at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He graduated from Carroll University with a degree in journalism and has showcased his versatility by reporting on a wide array of sports over the course of his memorable career.

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