The puck rebounded off Magler and a defenseman cleared it to the corner.  USM sophomore Gaby Turer got it and passed it back to Epperson.  Epperson centered it to Hoge. Hoge zinged a shot into the net at 1:51.

The Stars scored their first goal on a power play at 4:29 of their first period.  In the left corner of the Wildcats’ zone, sophomore Jade Williams pulled the puck away from a defender and passed it up the boards to freshman Kayla Huerta.  Huerta lined a shot toward the far post of the net where sophomore Allie Stock had moved.  Stock beat a defender for the puck and knocked it into the net.

The Wildcats moved ahead by two goals a few minutes later.  Gold got the puck deep in the Wildcats’ end.  She skated it out and headed down into the Stars’ zone along the right boards.  Nearing the goal line, she flung a backhand pass into the low slot.  Ali was there to bat the puck past Magler at 7:16.

Western Wisconsin answered with a goal at 13:43. In the left circle of the Wildcats’ zone, sophomore Skye Federation intercepted an errant Wildcat pass, stepped in, and flipped a shot past Dedert to close the scoring gap to one.

The Wildcats widened the scoring margin again while on a power play late in the first period. As Neudorfer forechecked in the Stars’ end, a Western Wisconsin defender chipped the puck into the air.  It hit Neudorfer’s helmet and caromed to the right mid-boards.  Hennelly rushed to it and immediately lined a shot that fooled Magler and gave the Wildcats a 4-2 lead at 16:22.

Just one goal was scored in the remainder of the game.  The Wildcats tallied it on a power play late in the second period.  Taking a faceoff in the Western Wisconsin zone, sophomore Karly Lamoreaux won the puck to Hentzen on the side boards.  Hentzen passed it to the point to her school mate, Hoge.  Like she was answering a text message, Hoge passed it right back and took of for the net.  Hentzen responded with another pass to Hoge, and Hoge swiftly shot the puck into the net for the score at 16:43.

Hoge explained the goal, “Before the faceoff, Abby and I agreed to attempt to do a give-and-go from the point to the boards then back to the middle. The faceoff went perfectly, and I got the puck at the point, gave it to Abby at the boards, jumped past the other team's player, and Abby gave me a perfect pass back, which I was able to shoot for a score.  We did exactly what we planned. It was the best feeling.”

Their first victory of the year gave the Wildcats the chance to play for the tournament championship.  They made good use of the opportunity.  The game was a back-and-forth affair with copious shots and plenty of action.

The Wildcats scored their first goal late in the opening period.  On a breakout play from the Wildcats’ zone, freshman defenseman Maggie Meissner passed the puck to McPike on the left boards.  Speeding away, McPike pulled the puck past a defender and headed in on a breakaway.  Nearing the low left circle, she blasted a shot inside the right pipe at 13:31.

The game’s only other goal was scored at 11:15 of the second period while the Wildcats were on a power play.  As the Wildcats moved the puck around the Red Panthers’ zone, sophomore Gaby Turer passed it to Hoge at the left point.  She stepped in and fired a shot.  It hit Epperson’s stick and bounced to the side.  Neudorfer hustled to it and snapped a shot past freshman goalie Maggie Cowden to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead.

The Wildcat defense held tight in the third period, allowing the Wildcats to go back to Milwaukee with heads held high after two good performances.

As a result of their two wins, the Wildcats are now 2-3-1 and 0-1in the Eastern Shores Conference.  The Wildcats play Arrowhead in an Eastern Shores Conference game at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 6th at the Mullett Center in Hartland.