Lightning eclipse .500

The Lakeshore Lightning, a girls’ co-op high school hockey team that has players from nine schools, including Port Washington, Grafton and Cedar Grove-Belgium, is off to a 4-3-1 start.

Grafton’s Caitlin Kennedy and Gwen Cherella and Port’s Cassidy Sullivan are on the team.

Kennedy has eight points on the season, fourth on the team.

She scored a second-period goal — her third of the season — and had an assist in the third period in a 3-1 win over Arrowhead on Dec. 10.

Goalkeeper Kami McCardle of West Bend East stopped 21 shots to earn her third win of the season.

Anna Gontarski of Cedarburg, who earned Eastern Shores Conference honorable mention last season, leads the team with 19 points and has three hat tricks.

“Anna is one of the more talented offensive players we have in the State of Wisconsin for girls hockey. She will finish her career as the Lightning’s all-time leading scorer in goals, assists and points,” coach Kyle Peterson said.

Among others contributing this year are senior Lauren Curtis of Homestead, who returns to the Lightning from a club team to help stabilize the defense and has 11 points on the season. Freshman Alison Kellner of Homestead is second on the team with 13 points.

Peterson said the team’s strength so far is McCardle between the pipes, who has kept the Lightning in games against some top state teams. Sophomore Maura Farrell of West Bend East is coming off an injury and provides “one of the better 1-2 punches in the state in the nets,” Peterson said.

The team’s goal is to finish above .500 , be in the top half of the conference and win a playoff game.

“Our program has been in a building phase since its inception in the 2013-14 season and we want this group of girls to take the next step in that process by achieving these goals,” Peterson said.

The Lightning, winners of four of their last six games, host Viroqua on Friday at the Kettle Moraine Ice Center in West Bend.