With a pair of wins over the weekend against new teams in the Great Lakes Hockey League, the Portage Lake Pioneers improved to 6-1-0-1 on the season, which puts them first in the conference.

On Friday, they defeated the Sun Prairie Killer Bees, 13-5. Saturday, they defeated the Dane County Dairy Kings by the same score.

Against the Killer Bees, the Pioneers and Sun Prairie traded tallies in the first period, with the Pioneers taking a 4-3 lead into the first intermission.

Brett Hauswith struck first for Portage Lake, tying the game at 1-1, when he struck at 2:43. He struck again at 12:05, which sparked a three-goal rally by the Pioneers to take the lead.

Wyatt Geshel scored the next two goals at 16:13 and 18:07.

In the second period, the Pioneers themselves scored seven times.

Devyn LaCourt got on the board at 8:30 to give Portage Lake a two-goal advantage. The Killer Bees got one back only to see the Pioneers strike six times in the final 5:49 of the frame.

Zach Hill scored at 14:11. Brendan Erickson then scored at 16:36. Austin Mikesch found the net at 16:45. Dominick Nettell scored at 18:55. Spencer Donnelly followed at 19:15. Erickson then scored his second of the night at 19:49.

The Killer Bees scored just 31 seconds into the third period to make it an 11-5 lead for Portage Lake before Donnelly and Hill each added their second of the night at 3:21 and 10:06, respectively, to seal the win.

Aaron Petrulis made 41 saves to earn the win.

Saturday, the Pioneers jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the Daily Kings on goals from Hauswirth and Nettell at 42 seconds and 4:33, respectively.

The Daily Kings got one back, but Donnelly scored at 8:38 to regain the two-goal lead at 3-1.

The teams battled into the second period before Hill (:13), Geshel (1:07), Mikesch (9:27) and Nettell (12:06) all found the net.

The Daily Kings struck twice to pull back within four at 7-3, but Hill struck on the power play at 19:59 to put Portage Lake back up by five.

In the third, the Pioneers scored another four straight goals, this time from Mikesch (1:59), Hill (5:55), Donnelly (8:31), and Erickson (6:42) to get up 12-3. The Dairy Kings got two back, but could not add another.

Hill scored his fourth of the night at 18:36 to seal the win.

Camden Burggrabe made 45 saves to earn the win.