Bears Remain Undefeated With Back-to-Back Wins at Home

The Fond du Lac Bears continued their dominant start to the 2024-25 season with two decisive victories this past weekend, improving to 4-0-0-0 in the Great Lakes Hockey League (GLHL) and 7-0-0-0 overall. The defending Kohlman Cup champions showcased their offensive firepower and defensive resilience in front of the home crowd at the Blue Line Family Ice Center.

The Bears opened the weekend with an 8-5 victory over the Dane County Dairy Kings on Friday. Fond du Lac set the tone early, scoring four unanswered goals in the first period. Malachi Buchholz, Nick Monfils, Brady Beekman, and Ryan Sabel each found the back of the net, giving the Bears a commanding 4-0 lead by the intermission.

Despite a spirited second-period response from Dane County, which saw them score three goals, the Bears matched their intensity, adding three more tallies of their own. Nick Monfils notched his second goal of the night, while Matt Letmanski and Josh Austin also contributed to the offensive outburst. Nolan McDermott sealed the game with a third-period goal, capping off a 40-shot performance by the Bears.

Goaltender Alex Kruger turned away 25 of 30 shots to secure the win, while the Bears' special teams and disciplined defensive play proved critical in containing the Dairy Kings’ late push.

On Saturday, the Bears faced the Portage Lake Pioneers and delivered a more balanced performance, cruising to a 5-2 victory. Fond du Lac jumped ahead early with a first-period goal from Matt Letmanski, assisted by Nick Sirota.

The second period saw Ryan Sabel and Dillion Fox extend the lead to 3-0 before Portage Lake responded with a late goal to cut the deficit. However, the Bears maintained their composure in the final frame. Josh Austin and Brady Beekman each scored to put the game out of reach, despite a second goal from the Pioneers’ Spencer Donnelly.

The Bears outshot Portage Lake 54-33, showcasing their offensive depth and defensive stability. Goaltender Justin Davidson was sharp, stopping 31 of 33 shots in the win.

With the wins, the Bears remain undefeated and look to keep their momentum going as they prepare for a road matchup against the Eagle River Falcons on Saturday, December 14. Fond du Lac will then return home on Saturday, December 21, for another clash with the Falcons.

Tickets for December 21 are available at fonddulacbears.com.