USM scored two early goals and then successfully hung on for the victory.  The Wildcats scored their first goal at 2:33 of the first period. In the Stoughton end, the puck went to USM senior Mikaela Simon who passed it to junior Jessica Gold at the point.  Gold fired a shot that hit Stoughton’s senior goalie Becca David and dropped on the doorstep like your favorite pair of old mud boots.  Junior Megan Bailey darted in and swept the puck into the net for the goal.

 

Just over two minutes later the Wildcats tallied what proved to be the game-winning goal. Deep in the Stoughton zone, USM junior Sally James got the puck and passed it to Bailey in the left circle.  Bailey immediately crossed it to sophomore Liz Curley who snapped it past David at 4:59.

 

The remainder of the first period and all of the second period stayed scoreless as David and her counterpart in the USM net, sophomore Emily Wigdale, turned aside shots.  By the end of the second period David had made 20 saves, and Wigdale had stopped all 15 of Stoughton’s shots at the USM net.

 

The Icebergs increased the game’s tension by scoring the first goal of the third period.  Freshman Rachel Dvorak intercepted a USM clearing attempt right at the USM blue line.  She chipped it forward to sophomore Brittany Hilst at the top of the right circle.  Hilst skated into the slot and rifled a shot past Wigdale to make it 2-1 at 6:24.

 

The Icebergs heated up their game, but they were unable to sink the Wildcats as Wigdale and her teammates continued to skirt disaster.  Eventually the Wildcats distanced themselves a bit more on the scoreboard.  During a power play junior Billie Fritz got the puck near the Stoughton goal line.  She sent it toward the net to freshman Grace Schleble.  From Schelble it bounced to James and then out to Bailey in the left circle.  Bailey blasted it past David for the game’s final goal at 11:02.

 

Stoughton went on the power play with 2:14 left in the game and pulled David soon thereafter. The well-trained USM penalty killers barely batted an eye during the six-on-four Stoughton onslaught.  Wigdale and the Wildcats turned aside every last attempt and kept the victory in their grasp.

 

In the game David made 36 saves, and Wigdale made 22.

 

The loss ended Stoughton’s season. The Icebergs’ final record was 8-13-1.  USM improved its record to 15-10.  The Wildcats advance to the Sectional 4 semi-final game against Arrowhead at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, February 22nd at Arrowhead’s Mullett Ice Arena in Hartland.