The 11-3-1 Lakeshore Lightning girls hockey co-op takes on the 5-11 Arrowhead squadron down in Hartland on Thursday, in an important pre-playoff matchup to help determine who will clinch the higher seed in the section. The Lightning is having its best season in its early history, tallying win after win on its way to one of the top teams in the Independent conference.

Erin Connolly, junior goaltender, has been an iron curtain for the Lightning, allowing only 17 goals in 14 games with four shutouts and leading Wisconsin goalies with a .958 save rate. Cedarburg’s Emily Gabel, junior, leads the way in total points with 15 goals and 5 assists while Homestead’s Katie Gebhardt, sophomore, has posted the highest number of assists, tallying 13 with two goals for 15 total points.

The rest of the Homestead skaters, Addie Anderson, senior defenseman and Sydney Roeper and Alex Burns, junior defensemen, have added eight more points so far from the blue line.

Arrowhead has had a turbulent season, winning five games in total and only one in its conference. Finding themselves in second to last place in its conference, the Warhawks are looking for any possible momentum builders in its underachieving season. Arrowhead will be on its home ice when the Lightning comes into town, giving them an added motivational push.

With a .905 save rate, Arrowhead’s goalie has allowed 47 goals this season, translating to almost three-and-a-half goals per game from the opposing team. Morgan Hobbs, junior, and Mary Kremer, freshman, lead the pack collecting 36 points altogether while the rest of the team has collected only 17 points all season.

Meeting up four times this season, the Lightning is no stranger to this Arrowhead group. Lakeshore leads the current series, winning three out of four possible matchups. Lakeshore beat Arrowhead in the first two meetings to win the Turkey Tournament at the Mullett Ice Center, fell to Arrowhead in the first round of the Hodag Tournament and beat them for the championship two days later.

Burns and Roeper both scored in their second matchup against Arrowhead, providing a nice boost for the team on its way to an eventual 7-0 rout. Gebhardt would help set up four of those seven goals as she had four assists on the night. Connolly holds a .948 save rate against the Warhawks, allowing only five goals in Arrowhead’s 96 attempts.

As the last matchup between the two this season, there will definitely be an an electric atmosphere encircling the rink when the Lighting take on the Warhawks for the fifth and final time.