In an important Eastern Shores Conference contest, the Fond du Lac co-op Warbirds scored two first period goals then hung on to defeat the University School co-op girls’ hockey team 3-2 on Saturday, January 21st at the Blue Line Family Ice Center in Fond du Lac.

“I told the girls before the game that this was an important game for our conference and our Sectional standings.  They had to come out ready to play,” said Jake Haury, USM’s head coach.  “I don’t think we started well.  I thought we got better in the second and third period, but in the first we looked flat and uninspired. Against teams like Fond du Lac, you have to play hard all fifty-one minutes.  You can’t let up.  We’re moving towards the playoffs.  We’ll be facing top teams.  We can play with them if we work hard in every practice in every minute of every game.”

The Warbirds opened the scoring early in the game.  Coming onto the ice on a line change, Hattie Verstagen snared a loose puck near the bench and skated across center ice toward the far side of the Wildcats’ blue line.  She veered into the zone, raced past a reaching defender, cut in on the net, and punched a shot past Marie Dedert, the Wildcats’ netminder at 3:25.

The Wildcats tied it several minutes later.  Skating into the Fond du Lac zone, Karly Lamoreaux took a shot from the slot.  The shot went wide, caroming to the left corner.  Lamoreaux hustled after it. She won a battle for the puck with a defenseman, skated toward the net, then centered a pass to Gaby Turer in the low slot.  Turer immediately fired the puck past Rebecca Binder, the Warbirds’ goalie, at 8:27.

The Warbirds answered quickly.  Drew Deanovich picked up a loose puck just inside the Fond du Lac zone and sped into center ice.  As she crossed the Wildcats’ blue line, she cut inside a defender, headed down the slot, and fired a low shot at Dedert.  The puck bounced to the side. Hastening to the goal unimpeded, Mary Skorupa dished the rebound into the net to move her team back in front at 8:55.

The Warbirds increased their lead midway through the second period.  As the Warbirds forechecked in the Wildcats’ zone, Verstagen won a kerfuffle for the puck in the right corner.  She skated behind the net, put on the breaks, then fed the puck to Deanovich in the right circle.  Deanovich fired a low shot.  Amber Lemmenes had her stick on the ice, and she tipped the puck into the net at 11:08.