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Gryphons Top Wildcats in Overtime

By Thomas Geilfuss, 11/20/11, 9:02AM CST

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Green Bay Captures Paul Meyer Memorial Hockey Tournament

One second was all it took.  One final second. Senior Joe Spencer of the Green Bay United boys ice hockey team scored a goal in the last second of overtime to defeat University School 3-2 in the championship game of the Paul Meyer Memorial Hockey Tournament Saturday evening at USM.

Spencer tipped a power play shot past USM's sophomore goaltender Bryan Botcher to ruin the Wildcats' comeback chances.

Early in the Green Bay took the lead on a power play when junior Max Ysebaert took a pass from junior Shawn Bartolazzi and rifled a shot from the point into the USM net at 4:36.

The Gryphons increased their lead with a goal at 7:31 of the second period. Senior Luke Mailhiot moved the puck to junior Hunter Routheau along the mid-boards in the Wildcats' zone.  Routheau passed it to Spencer in the near circle, and Spencer one-timed it past Botcher.

The Wildcats were down 2-0, but they were not out.  They soon began their comeback on a power play.  During a face-off in the Gryphons' zone, senior Ashton Wackym won the draw to junior Joey Judge.  Judge passed the puck to sophomore Vadim Sukhanov at the point.  Sukhanov moved to the center of the blue line and lined a shot toward the Green Bay net.  The low shot hit the Gryphons' sophomore goalie Will Griswold and dropped toward the goal line.  It snailed its way across the line before Griswold could reach it, and USM was on the board at 12:07.

The Wildcats continued their comeback early in the third period, tying the game before many fans had resumed their seats after the break.  Off the period's opening face-off, USM got the puck into the Green Bay end.  Wackym fired a shot on net that Griswold stopped.  Senior Corey Roadhouse took another low shot off the rebound that hit the sprawling Griswold.  The puck then slid to USM senior Nathan Burke who pulled it to right, and whipped it into the net before the goalie could regain his feet just 15 seconds into the third period.

The pace of the game stayed heated for the remainder of the third period and the overtime. In the overtime, each team killed a penalty and kept the pressure on the opponents. The Gryphons nearly scored during their early power play in the overtime, but the referee ruled the puck had been kicked into the net.

With 20 seconds left in the overtime, USM was penalized again for having too many men on the ice.  That gave the Gryphons' impetus and just enough time to score their game-winning goal, and capture the tournament championship.

In the game Griswold made 28 saves and Botcher made 33 saves.

Green Bay is now 2-0.  USM is 1-1.  The Wildcats participate in another tournament over the Thanksgiving weekend when they travel to Hopkins, Minnesota to play in the 23rd annual Bob Nelson Tournament at Blake School. The Wildcats face Blake, a perennial Minnesota power, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.