3, 2, 1, Champions. After knocking off the the third ranked team, Stoughton, in the quarterfinals, and after knocking off the second ranked team, Notre Dame, in the semi-finals, University School defeated the number one ranked team, Wausau West, in the finals of the Wisconsin State High School Hockey Tournament and became the 2010 State Champion.

USM scored four first period goals and hung on to beat Wausau West by a 5-3 score Saturday in Madison.

The Wildcats scored their first goal on a power play. They moved the puck into the Wausau West zone and set up. Eventually the puck made its way to senior Alex Tesesnky at the right point. Tesensky sent the puck to junior Aaron Storch along the boards. Storch took a shot that bounced off Wausau West’s sophomore goalie Austin Priebe and went behind the net. Junior Simon Leahy peeled the puck from the boards, stepped out front, and eased the puck into the gaping left side of the net at 4:45.

USM went ahead 2-0 just 19 seconds later. After the center ice face off, the Wildcats quickly got the puck into the Wausau West zone. USM began cycling the puck and it went to senior Augie Fritz who skated behind the net and passed the puck out front to sophomore Kenny Servis. Servis lofted a shot over Preibe’s shoulder at 5:04.

The Wildcats scored their third unanswered goal at 11:22 of the period. Senior Ian Crimmins knocked the puck into the right corner of the Wausau West end. Leahy rushed to get it and then he blasted a pass to Tesensky in the high slot. Tesensky blazed a low shot that made it inside the right post for a goal.

Wausau West still had plenty of time to decrease their goal scoring deficit, and they did so at 12:26. Junior Robbie Poirier sent the puck from the USM corner senior defenseman Derek Knetter at the point. Knetter gunned a shot that Wausau West senior Mitch Borneman tipped past USM’s senior netminder Dan Smyczek.

USM scored once more before the period ended, Storch passed the puck to Crimmins, who skated toward the net and shot it. The rebound bounced toward Leahy who reached for it, and flipped a backhand over Priebe at 15:49.

At the end of the first period, the USM lead was substantial but Wausau West still had plenty of time to catch up. They came at the Wildcats with all they had in the second period, taking 14 shots at Smyczek. Only one made it into the USM net and that one came on a power play. In the USM zone Wausau West junior Ryan Condon sent the puck to Poirier at thew right point. Poirier skated in and then lined a pass across to Borneman in the left circle. He one-timed a shot that beat Smyczek at 7:20.

Wausau West continued the onslaught in the third period but Smyczek and his teammates played good defense and kept the Warriors off the scoreboard except for a power play goal at 6:13. Then, Borneman rifled a shot from the left circle. It hit senior Troy Fochs in front of the net and dribbled over to Condon at the right side of the net. Condon calmly tapped it in.

The score remained 4-3 for most of the remainder period. With 1:31 left, Wausau West pulled Priebe for an extra player. USM kept the Warriors attack to the outside. With 58 seconds left, USM junior Zach Hafeman passed the puck to Tesensky in the USM zone. Tesensky stepped forward and fired the puck the length of the ice and into the net. The empty net goal made the score 5-3 and made Wausau West‘s ride back to Wausau an unhappy one.

In the game Wausau West took 48 shots and Smyczek stopped 45 of them. Priebe saved 17 of the 21 shots at him.

In winning the state tournament, USM ended the season with a record of 18-7-3. Each of USM’s three tournament opponents entered the tournament with only one loss on their record, but departed the tournament with its loss total doubled, thanks to the efforts of USM.

The Wildcats began the season with an 0-4-1 record, and as late as December 28th, they had not won a game. By early January the  Wildcats held a dismal 3-7-2 record. But nary a one gave up. These amazing USM Wildcats created their own legacy, going 15-0-1 to  become the only Wisconsin team to end the 2009-2010 season with a victory.