The Evergreens scored the game’s first goal early in the first period.  On a breakout from the Everest zone, Alex Yde beat a USM defenseman at the Everest blue line and headed into the USM zone on a 2 on 1 with Alex Zajichek.  As they neared the USM goalkeeper, senior Alex Langer, Yde slid the puck across to Zajichek who cracked it in at 1:35.

 

USM tied it less than two minutes later.  Simon Leahy got the puck in the Everest zone. moved toward the net and fired a shot.  The rebound arced to the right corner.  USM senior Jams Shovers got to it and shoved it back to Leahy.  Like a Wild West gunslinger, Leahy quickly drew a bead on Everest’s goalie Jared Enkers and fired another shot past him at 3:09.

 

USM went ahead 2-1 on a power play.  Defenseman Zach Hafeman sent the puck to Leahy breaking out of the USM zone.  Leahy lashed a pass across ice to Corey Roadhouse.  Roadhouse skated down the right side, cut toward the net and put the puck on net.  The rebound came out to Aaron Storch who was racing to the left post and Storch knocked the puck in at 12:39.

 

D.C. Everest tied it at 2 apiece with a goal in the last minute of the first period. Brendan Dively sent a pass through the USM defense at the Everest blue line and snt Yde off on a  another odd man rush.  Yde closed in on Lnage and zipped a low shoot through the goaltender’s legs at 16:37.

 

The Evergreens took a 3-2 lead at 4:00 of the second period. Ben Barton intercepted a USM breakout pass and sent the puck back into the USM corner. Colin Helke out fought a USM defender for it and whipped the puck in front of the USM net.  During a scramble for it, Jim Slogar popped it past Langer.

 

USM then scored two short-handed goals while killing a single penalty.  Forechecking near the Everest blue line Storch stripped the puck from an Everest defenseman and knocked it to Leahy on his left.  Leahy zoomed all alone, stickhandled around Enkers and he was making a deposit in a bank’s ATM machine he slid the puck into the net at 15:01.  

 

Storch and Leahy combined for another short-handed goal just a few seconds later.  Storch intercepted a pass at the Everest blue line, and he and Leahy headed into the Everest end on a 2 on 0.   Storch moved in close and pushed a low shot at Enkers. The puck rebounded to Leahy who fired it past the bewildered goalie at 15:29.

 

Everest still had a power play and despite giving up the two short-handed goals the Evergreens were able to score a power play goal.  Yde got the puck and skated wide into the USM zone.  He cut toward net and sent a near-in shot at Langer.  The rebound went to the far side to Zajichek who stuffed it in at 15:39. 

 

D.C. Everest went back ahead at 3:32 of the third period.  The Evergreens took adavantage of a breakdown in the USM defense.  Allan Sackmann the puck and fired it USM goalkeeper Ben Myers who had replaced Langer.  The rebound popped out and Mark Wilke batted it in.

 

USM tied it at 11:47.  Leahy sent a cross ice pass to Roadhouse skating out of the USM zone.  Roadhouse skated it wide and entered the Evergreens’ end.  As he swooped toward the crease, Roadhouse zipped a crossing pass to Storch who jammed it past Enkers.

 

USM pulled ahead less than a minute later.  USM defenseman Jack Minahan got the puck at the point in the Everest zone and fired it toward the net.  Ian Palin put his stick on it and it careened to Kenny Servis.  Servis controlled it, turned and laced a backhand shot past Enkers at 12:40.

 

The Evergreens tied it less than a minute after that.  Yde picked off a puck mishandled by a USM defender in the Wildcats’ zone.  He skated toward Myers and passed the puck to Zajichek near the net.  Zajichek’s shot flipped off of Myers’ pads into the air.  It hit the goalpost, dropped toward the goal line and Mike Busher tapped it across the line at 13:23.

 

That sent the game into overtime.  Despite all the scoring in the first three periods, the overtime period witnessed no further goals.

 

In the game, Enkers made 30 saves.  Langer made 10 and Myers made 12 for a total of 22 saves by USM goaltenders.

 

USM is now 2-3-2.  The Wildcats continue their stay in Wausau with a game against Wausau West at the Marathon Ice Center at 3:00 on Saturday.