USM Tops Arrowhead

The University School co-op girl’s ice hockey team opened its 2011-2012 Northeastern Shores Conference season with a 5-3 victory over Arrowhead Thursday at USM.

Early on, fans who like offense were relishing the game, since both teams seemed to be scoring at will. Six of the game's eight goals were tallied in the first period. As the game wore on, however, the expectations of those fans diminished as the defenses stiffened and whistles for penalties interrupted the flow of the play.

Arrowhead began the first period's scoring spree just 4:05 into the game. The Warhawks’ senior defenseman Rachel Martel passed the puck to freshman Courtney Krueger, who moved it forward to her classmate Makenna Thomas along the left boards. As Thomas crossed into the USM zone, she fired a high shot on net. The puck eluded the Wildcats' sophomore goalkeeper Heidi Golembiewski and sailed into the upper corner of the net.

The Arrowhead goal roused the Wildcats' ire, and USM soon scored three goals in less than two minutes. The first came at 6:20. Forechecking with the fierceness of a lioness attacking injured antelope; USM senior Sally James pulled the puck away from an Arrowhead defender in the left corner and snapped it out to senior Megan Bailey at the lower edge of the near circle. Bailey stepped toward the net and blasted a shot that bewildered the Warhawks' sophomore goalie Hannah Nicholson to tie the score.

USM went ahead just 49 seconds later. During an Arrowhead line change, USM senior defenseman Margot Peterson sent a breakout pass from the USM zone to senior Abby Berman in center ice. Berman skated across the Arrowhead blue line unchallenged and lasered a shot into the Warhawks' net at 7:09.

USM soon had a two-goal lead. During a power play, the Wildcats methodically moved the puck around the Arrowhead zone. Eventually it went to senior Billie Fritz at the point. Fritz zinged a crossing pass to Bailey in the far circle, and Bailey immediately lined a shot at Nicholson. The puck bounced off the goalie and popped out front. Freshman Nina Andersen parked in front like a Rolls Royce awaiting royalty, gathered it in and blasted a shot past Nicholson at 8:12. It was the first goal of Andersen's high school career.

Arrowhead scored the game's next goal on a power play. As the Warhawks were working the puck around the USM zone, it went to senior Jamie Musbach who passed it to junior Shelby O'Connor on the left mid-boards. O'Connor took a shot that hit Golembiewski's glove and fell to the ice. Before a USM defenseman could clear it, Krueger tapped it inside the right post at 11:29.

Undeterred, the Wildcats scored their fourth goal less than a minute later. Senior Liz Curley hustled into the Arrowhead left corner, and like a diligent gold miner, she dug the puck free. Curley slipped it to USM freshman Rose Revolinski who flew toward the net like an express train. Revolinski fired and tallied the first goal of her varsity career to give the Wildcats a 4-2 advantage at 12:24.

Each team added a goal in the second period. The Wildcats scored first. Bailey collected a loose puck behind the Arrowhead net. She wheeled into the lower right circle and like a well-trained sniper in wartime she gunned a shot that hit her target, the far upper corner of the Warhawks’ net, at 5:48.

Arrowhead made it 5-3 at 11:31. Thomas stepped onto the ice from the Arrowhead bench. Like a spy who'd slipped past sleeping sentries, she secretly stood in center ice unbeknownst to the USM players. Arrowhead junior Alex Beversdorf did see Thomas and sent her a breakout pass from the Arrowhead zone. Thomas skated in on a breakaway, deked Golembiewski, and lofted a shot high into the USM net.

That brought the scoring to a halt. The third period was sloppy, more like poor pond hockey than a high school game.

In the game Nicholson made 22 saves, while Golembiewski made 16 saves.

Arrowhead is now 1-1 overall and 1-1 in the conference. USM is 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the conference. The Wildcats head to Beaver Dam Friday for a 7:00 p.m. game against the Beaver Dam co-op team.