The University School co-op girls ice hockey team opened its Northeastern Shores Conference Season Friday in Beaver Dam with a convincing 6-0 victory over the Beaver Dam co-op team.

The Wildcats pounded the Golden Beavers throughout the game, out shooting their hosts 66-9.

USM scored on three of those shots in the first period.  The first USM goal came on a face off.  In the Golden Beavers' end, senior Sally James won the draw over to senior Megan Bailey in the slot. Bailey immediately wristed a shot over the shoulder of the Golden Beavers' goalie Maddie Lockwood just 1:37 into the period.

USM's second goal also resulted from a face-off play.  Taking the draw, Junior Liz Curley pulled the puck back to senior Margot Peterson at the point. Peterson passed the puck back to Curley who had stepped into the slot.  Curley quickly lofted a backhander into the goal at 3:03.

The Wildcats made it 3-0 less than two minutes later.  USM sophomore Abby Wigdale got the puck behind the Beaver Dam net and passed it to junior Lane Tomesch in the right circle.  Tomesch skated it into the middle and fired a low shot.  Wigdale, who had moved to the top of the crease, tipped in past Lockwood for the score at 5:02.

USM continued to pump shots at the Golden Beavers, but the Wildcats did not score again until over half way through the second period.  In the USM end, senior Billie Fritz collected the puck and sent it toward Curley on the boards for a breakout play.  The puck hit a forechecker's stick and popped to Curley. Like a jaguar after its prey, Curley sped down the rink, pulled the puck around a retreating defenseman, and went in on Lockwood.  Curley put her shot up where momma hides the cookie jar to make it 4-0.

USM scored twice in the third period.  The first came when freshman Rachel Lowe got the puck in the Beaver Dam corner and clotheslined a pass to senior Rebecca Reiman.  Reiman fired it in between the goalie's pads at 6:32.

USM scored its final goal on a power play.  Junior Jessica Gold passed the puck along the goal line to Fritz.  Fritz sent a diagonal pass to Bailey in the far circle, and Bailey jetted in a top shelf shot at 16:05.

In the game Lockwood made 60 saves while USM's sophomore goalie Heidi Golembiewski gained a shutout by turning aside all 9 shots that the Golden Beavers took.

Beaver Dam is now 0-4 and 0-2 in the conference.  USM has an overall 3-2 record and is 1-0 in the conference.  The Wildcats return home to host the first-ever USM Classic Hockey Tournament. The Wildcats face Kettle Moraine in the tournament's opening round at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.