DE PERE — The De Pere/West De Pere co-op Ghostbirds Lacrosse wasted little time taking control Monday night, cruising to an 18-5 win over the SPASH Panthers behind a dominant offensive performance and relentless ball movement.
The Ghostbirds set the tone early, overwhelming SPASH in the opening quarter and never allowing the Panthers to settle into the game. By the end of the first quarter, they already held an 8-1 lead.
“Our mindset was, you know, we’r e going to go out there and get the work done early,” Ghostbirds standout Tristan Wadzinski said. “We can handle them at the faceoff and we held the possession time.”
Wadzinski was at the center of nearly everything offensively, finishing with seven goals in one of the most explosive performances of the season.
He recorded his third goal of the night with 3:45 left in the first quarter before Nathan Frank assisted him again moments later for his fourth. Henry Macco later added another goal to extend the lead, while Jace Cauldwell continued to help create scoring opportunities with assists throughout the night.
The offensive momentum only continued in the second quarter.
Roman Rasmussen opened the quarter with a goal at the 10:45 mark before scoring again just over 30 seconds later to complete his hat trick. Rasmussen later added his fourth goal of the game off another assist from Cauldwell as the Ghostbirds continued to pile on offensively.
Wadzinski added two more goals during the quarter, both assisted by teammates, while Landon Deavers and Dayne Wafle also found the back of the net.
“The key was the boys were moving the ball around really good,” Wadzinski said. “We were getting a bunch of assisted shots, so that helps.”
By halftime, the Ghostbirds held a commanding 14-2 lead while also controlling the stat sheet with an 18-3 shot advantage.
Head coach Hayden Fredriksen said the team’s willingness to share the ball stood out most.
“Probably the unselfish play,” Fredriksen said. “We had a lot of guys share the ball, make the right play. There’s times where guys can just take it to the hole and score, but there’s times where you want to get your teammates involved, and I think our guys do that routinely.”
The balanced attack continued after halftime.
Rasmussen scored his fifth goal early in the third quarter off an assist from Kole Kane, while Cade Brockington added his first goal of the game midway through the period. Parker Schenian capped the quarter with a goal in the closing seconds as the Ghostbirds continued to pour on offense.
With the game well in hand entering the fourth quarter, the Ghostbirds rotated in backups while SPASH added a few late goals under a running clock.
Even with the lopsided scoreline, Fredriksen pointed to areas the team still wants to improve before its next matchup.
“We’ve got to clear better,” Fredriksen said. “We need to move the ball off-ball on offense a little bit better. And then in general, we’ve just got to get that thing off the ground. Ground balls win the game in lacrosse, and we’ve got to be perfect at it every game.”
The victory showcased the depth and chemistry of a Ghostbirds team that continues to build momentum as the season progresses. From dominant faceoffs to efficient offense and balanced scoring, they controlled nearly every aspect of the game.
Fredriksen credited the team’s preparation and leadership for maintaining consistency throughout the season.
“This is a pretty player-driven team,” he said. “They handle their business, they come excited to play and play together with each other.”
The Ghostbirds now shift their focus toward Thursday’s matchup against Oneida Nation.
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