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USM girls grab Schwan Cup White Division title

By Thomas Geilfuss, 12/31/11, 3:15PM CST

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Wildcats outscore opponents by 22-4 margin

They brought home the cup. The University School co-op girls hockey team traveled to Blaine, Minnesota to play in the prestigious Schwan Cup tournament and returned victoriously.  After beating Fairmont, MN 17-2 in the quarterfinals of the White Division competition Wednesday, and Holy Angels of Minnesota 2-1 in the semi-finals Thursday, USM defeated Northern Lakes of Minnesota 3-1 in Friday's finals to win the tournament trophy. They returned to Wisconsin carrying the cup. 

In the finals, the Wildcats out skated Northern Lakes for most of the first period but they could not get a shot past Northern Lakes' goalie Kat Jensen until the period's final minute.  In the Northern Lakes' zone the puck went to defenseman Rebecca Hart at the blue line.  Hart shot the puck toward the far side of the net. It hit Megan Bailey and caromed to Nina Andersen's stick.  Like a Dervish dancer, Andersen whirled and propelled the puck past Jensen at 16:29 to give the Wildcats a lead they would never surrender.
 
USM went further ahead on a power play early in the second period.  Off a face-off in the Northern Lakes' end, the puck went to USM's Billie Fritz at the point.  Fritz fired it and Bailey tipped it in at 3:07 for what would prove to be the Wildcats' game-winning goal.
 
The USM players relaxed a bit after that in the second period, but their defense and goaltender Heidi Golembiewski did not give Northern Lakes any good chances.
 
The Wildcats came out of the locker room reinvigorated and played sound fundamental hockey throughout their last period in the tournament.  They stifled many of Northern Lakes' breakout chances, keeping the puck in the Northern Lakes end for a majority of the final seventeen minutes of the contest.
 
The Wildcats added a third goal as a result of their forechecking efforts.  Jessica Gold broke up a Northern Lakes clearing attempt and quickly passed the puck to Rose Revolinski in the high slot.  Like an artillery gunner with precise coordinates, Revolinski blasted a shot right past Jensen at 14:29.
 
Northern Lakes did get a goal after the outcome of the game was essentially assured.  Kaylyn Eggena snared a loose puck at center ice and raced into the USM zone on a breakaway.  From the low slot she fired the puck into the net at 16:14.
 
In the game Jensen made 33 saves while Golembiewski stopped 14 shots.
 
USM made it into the finals by beating Holy Angels 2-1 in a thrilling semi-final game Thursday evening.  Although the Wildcats outshot Holy Angels 27-18 in the game, they had trouble getting those shots past Holy Angels' goalie Maddie Karl.
 
The Wildcats scored their first goal just after Samantha Maijer's unassisted goal had given Holy Angels a lead at 5:19 of the first period. Seconds later USM's Ellie Wigdale got the puck and skated it down the boards into the Holy Angels' end of the rink. Moving below the goal line, Wigdale turned toward the net and passed the puck to Laine Tomesch in the slot and Tomesch one-timed it in at 5:36.
 
The game stayed tied 1-1 until a Holy Angels' penalty gave USM a power play late in the third period.  The Wildcats moved the puck around the Holy Angels zone.  It went to Bailey in the circle, and she shot it on net.   The rebound came out to Andersen. Her shot rebounded to Revolinski. Her shot was true. It went past Karl at 12:04 for the game winner.
 
The quarterfinal game was like a tune-up practice for the real competition.  The Wildcats outshot the Fairmont Area team 42-4 and out scored it 17-2.  Bailey led the Wildcats with 4 goals and 1 assist.  Andersen had 2 goals and 3 assists.  Ellie Wigdale had 2 goals; Tomesch, Revolinski, Fritz and Abby Berman each had 1 goal and 2 assists; Hart, Margot Peterson, and Liz Curley each had 1 goal and 1 assist; Rachel Lowe and Abby Wigdale each had 1 goal; Gold had 2 assists; and Liza Sisk had 1 assist in the rout.
 
The three victories improved USM's record to 10-2.  The Wildcats face tough Wisconsin competition in the new year.  They travel to Sun Prairie on Tuesday, January 4, 2012 for a 7:00 p.m. Eastern Shores Conference contest.