Hepp’s Salt Picks up Steady 5–1 Win Over Trash Panda

Braemar Arena – August 7, 2025

The final night of the Dangle League regular season brought no shortage of storylines, but one thing was already settled before puck drop — Hepp’s Salt had claimed the regular season crown. That didn’t stop the league leaders from finishing the job in style, defeating second-place contender Trash Panda 5–1 to improve their record to 7–0 campaign with one game remaining tonight.

The matchup was a rematch of opening night, when Hepp’s Salt rolled to a 5–1 win. History repeated itself on Thursday, with the champions again using balanced scoring and airtight defense to control the game.

Hepp’s Salt jumped out to a 2–0 first-half lead behind goals from Brooklyn Mauch (Marshall) and Ella Nonweiler (Holy Family), setting the tone early. Trash Panda finally broke through at 1:49 of the first half when Callie Arthur (Blake) buried a setup from Taylor Gardner (Edina) and Kathryn Zakrajsheck (BSM) — just the second goal allowed all season by Hepp’s netminder Janie McGawn (Blake).

In the second half, the champions slammed the door. Mauch scored her second of the game at 19:04, Nonweiler added her second less than a minute later, and Grace Bendickson (BSM) capped the night with a power-play tally at 1:45 to seal the 5–1 victory.

McGawn was once again superb, stopping 25 of 26 shots to lower her season goals-against average even further. Grace Kemp (Cretin-Derham Hall) battled in net for Trash Panda, making 19 saves on 24 shots.

For Trash Panda, the loss was a setback in their bid for sole possession of second place, leaving their final standing dependent on the later result involving Empower’s Performance. Hepp’s Salt, meanwhile, heads into next week’s playoffs brimming with confidence, having outscored opponents 33–10 with one game remaining on the schedule. 

3 Stars of the Game

1. Brooklyn Mauch (Hepp’s Salt) – 2 goals, 1 assist

2. Ella Nonweiler (Hepp’s Salt) – 2 goals

3. Janie McGawn (Hepp’s Salt) – 25 saves, .962 SV%