The University School boys’ hockey team continued a string of games against a variety of opponents by taking on neighboring rival, Homestead in a non-conference game on Wednesday, January 29th at the Ozaukee Ice Center in Cedarburg.  The Wildcats defeated the Highlanders, 3-0.

During the week, the Wildcats have a solid 3-1 mark, but their toughest foe to date, top-ranked Green Bay Notre Dame, is looming on the horizon to conclude the span of five games in seven days.  Wednesday’s contest was a big preparation.

It was a big game in another way and the two teams take on a truly tough foe. Each year the teams play this game as the  Coaches vs. Cancer game. They use it to help fight cancer and to honor coaches for each team who have been struck by cancer, former USM coaches, Cal Roadhouse and Yves Preston, and Homestead’s coach, Tony Navarre. Thanks to caring people, the coaches have survived, and the two teams annually play the game to show that they, and their fans, care.

Once the puck dropped, the Wildcats showed they cared about winning.  They scored just 18 seconds into the contest.  Coming out of the USM zone, Kyler Ringgold chipped the puck along the left boards to Noah Eghbali who skated with it into the Highlanders’ zone.  Ethan Thombs had jumped into the rush and Eghbali slipped the puck to him.  Thombs moved in on Homestead’s goalie, Chase Kolega, and tucked the puck past him for what would become the game winning goal.

USM scored again at 12:03 of the first period.  Stationed unmarked in front of  Kolega, Reid Woods tipped an incoming shot into the goalie.  Woods then tucked the rebound between the pipe and Kolega’s foot to give USM an insurance goal.

There was no scoring in the second period as the teams displayed back and forth hockey.  In the period Kolega made 11 of his total 35 saves.  USM’s goaltender Patrick Kelly stopped 8 shots in the period and 17 during the game.

The Wildcats scored once more in the third period.  Coming into the Homestead end, Ringgold fired a shot from the blue line, Eghbali skated to the rebound and whipped it in at 11:40 to secure the win for the Wildcats.

“A nice job by the guys tonight,” said Jason Woods, USM’s head coach. “We continue to answer the bell. We know when we step on the ice, we are going to get everyone’s best. As such, we need to be on our game. While we were not perfect, we were in control and good enough. These guys are having an excellent season, and I’m excited for the stretch run. We have a lot of exciting games ahead.”

The win gave USM a 15-3-1 record.  The Wildcats will certainly have an exciting game against Green Bay Notre Dame who comes to USM to play a non-conference game against the fifth ranked Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 31st.