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Fast start leads to USM win over Fondy

By Tom Geilfuss, USM Assistant Coach, 12/11/17, 6:00PM CST

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Wildcats punch in three power play goals

On the strength of five first period goals, the University School boys’ hockey team defeated Fond du Lac 8-2 in a non-conference game on Saturday, December 9th at The Blue Line Ice Center in Fond du Lac.

The Wildcats are about to enter exam week, but all they had on their minds Saturday was winning a hockey game.  They proceeded to do that with determination.

Robby Newton, one of USM’s assistant captains commented on the win, “The boys played well in the first period today, getting off to a 5-1 lead, but then we let up a little in the second. Coming into the third, we picked it back up and played better and scored some more goals. This is one of the first times that we were able to get out of exam week with two wins. So, the boys got the job done.”

USM got things going early in the first period.  Robby Newton passed the puck to Casey Roepke in center ice.  Roepke skated into the Cardinals zone on the left.  From the top of the circle he centered the puck to Andrew Malek who one-timed a shot past Corbin Guys, Fond du Lac’s starting goalie at 4:32.

The Wildcats increased their lead less than a minute later.  Forchecking in the Cardinal’s right corner, Noah Eghbali corralled the puck and whipped it deeper into the corner to Ethan Mann.  Mann passed it out to the near circle to Tyler Herzberg who blazed a wrister into the net at 5:09.

Fond du Lac edged closer a fewer minutes later.  Tanner Schultz picked up a loose puck along the right boards inside the USM zone. He sped off on a two-on-one with Justin Mock.  As he skated into the right circle in the USM zone, Schultz tried to send a pass to Mock who was speeding toward the USM net.  the puck went into the net instead, giving Schultz an unassisted goal at 7:18.

The Wildcats took control of the game with three more goals in the period.  The next one came at 10:46. In center ice, Carson Mogush knocked a loose puck ahead to Christian Blomquist who sped past the Cardinals’ defensemen to get it.  Blomquist skated in on a breakaway.  He deked the goalie and shuffled a backhander into the net as he crossed the crease.

WiPH Game Summaries

USM’s next goal came on a power play.  The Wildcats had the puck in the Fond du lac end and moved it from player to player.  It went to Kylar Fenton on the center point.  He sent it in to Malek in the left circle.  Malek spun and whipped a backhander toward the net.  Blake Carey was stationed there like guard at his outpost.  Carey knocked the puck into the net at 12:42.

USM scored again at 16:19. Herzberg got the puck on the left boards from Mann.  Herzberg dashed into the high slot, spun like a top, and fired a low shot at Guy’s pads.  It bounced off them to Eghbali who tapped it in to give the Wildcats a 5-1 lead.

After a high-scoring opening period, the second period saw only one goal scored.  Fond du lac’s Caden Carlson tallied it unassisted when he snagged a loose puck in the USM zone, skated in on Frank Fee, USM’s goaltender, and tucked the puck through the five hole while the Cardinals were short-handed at 11:22.

USM scored the game’s final three goals in the third period.  The first of the period was scored at 2:10. While the Wildcats were forechecking the puck went to the point to Kylar Fenton.  He shot a high shot that hit a defenseman and dropped, then hit the defenseman’s skate.  It caromed to Ryan Kennedy who was perched like a hawk near the crease.  Kennedy backhanded the puck past Guy to give USM a 6-2 lead.

The Wildcats made it 7-2 on a power play a few minutes later.  They got the puck into the Fond du lac zone and began moving it.  It went to Blomquist at the middle of the blue line.  He passed it in to Newton in the left circle. Newton fired it toward the net.  Carey was there again and he poked it past Guy at 5:40.

The Cardinals replaced Guy with TJ Draves.  He made 5 saves but surrendered a goal at 15:10 when USM had another power play.  Roepke got the puck at the point and passed it to Blomquist in the left corner of the Fond du Lac zone.  Blomquist skated out toward the crease and gunned a shot into the net for the game’s final goal.

After the game USM’s head coach Jason Woods, summarized, “It was nice win to help us get to 7-1 at the 1/3 mark of the season.  We are playing good hockey, scoring goals, and limiting chances for the opponent.  We need to be a great defensive team, and I think we are getting there.  Continuing to work hard and keep getting better, that’s the key.  It’s time now for the boys to focus on exams and take care of school.”

USM is 7-1 and 2-0 in the Classic Eight Conference.  After a good opening month, the Wildcats take time off for exams and the holidays before returning to action in the Schwan Cup Tournament at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, MN.  In their first round game they play Princeton High School of Princeton, MN in a non-conference game at 7:00 pm. on Tuesday, December 26th.