After defeating Hayward 7-2 in the opening round of the 17th annual Pines Classic in Eagle River Friday, the University School hockey lost 2-1 to the tournament's host, Northland Pines, in the championship game Saturday.

Northland Pines captured the tournament's trophy with a short-handed goal in the last three minutes of the game. The Eagles iced the puck.  Junior Adam Krresl beat the last USM defenseman to the puck below the USM goal line.  Kresl passed the puck into the low slot in front of the USM net.  Northland Pines’ junior Austin Ramesh raced to it and snapped a shot into the upper corner of the net past USM’s sophomore goaltender Bryan Botcher to give the Eagles the 2-1 lead at 14:27.

The game was close throughout and the play moved from end to end continuously.  The first goal wasn’t scored until midway through the second period. The Eagles scored it just as a Pines power play ended. The Eagles kept the play in the USM end.  As the puck moved around the zone, it caromed to junior Alex Kornely at the right point and he gunned a shot into the net at 10:19.

The Eagles led for most of the third period, but a late USM eventually tied it.  In the Northland Pines zone, senior Ashton Wackym passed the puck to sophomore Vadim Sukhanov at the point.  Sukhanov put a shot on net.  Senior Corey Roadhouse skated in, snagged the rebound, and fired past Northland Pines' sophomore goalie Jacob Stephan at 13:01.

An ensuing power play gave the Wildcats a late chance to win the game, but opportunity turned to disaster as the Pines’ players demonstrated their desire and out-hustled the Wildcats to gain the victory.

In the game Stephan made 28 saves and Botcher made 31 saves.

USM made it to the championship game by out-scoring Hayward Friday night.  USM took an early 3-0 lead in the first period. Although the Hurricanes closed the scoring gap with two goals in the early moments of the second period, the Wildcats regained control of the game and soon pulled away.

USM's first goal of the game in the first minute of the first period.  Sophomore Duncan Brown sent the puck to senior Corey Roadhouse deep in the Hayward end.  Roadhouse sent it out to senior defenseman Nathan Burke who was skating in from the blue line.  Burke let loose a low wrist shot that went between the legs of Hayward's sophomore goalie Darby Hand at 0:23.

The Wildcats made it 2-0 midway through the period.  Senior Kenny Servis moved the puck to Burke at the Hayward blue line.  Burke skated in then crossed a pass to Roadhouse in the right circle.  Roadhouse quickly slung a shot past Hand at 11:56.

Late in the period USM scored again.  Skating into the Hurricanes' zone senior Ashton Wackym passed the puck to Roadhouse moving in on the far side.  Roadhouse took several steps and crossed the puck back to Wackym who howitzered a shot into the net at 14:20.

The Wildcats relaxed a bit with their three-goal lead, and the hungry Hurricanes took advantage.  Coming out of USM's right corner sophomore moved past a stick check and crossed the puck to freshman John Rainville unmarked in the opposite circle.  Rainville one-timed a shot past Botcher at 1:11.

Hayward made it 3-2 exactly two minutes later on a power play.  Again the Hurricanes scored on a pass across the USM slot, when sophomore Brian Billings sent a pass to Abe Reker who quickly shot it in before Botcher could slide across.

USM eased the pressure that the Hurricanes had applied with another goal at 7:20 of the second period.  Junior Ben Walker cycled the puck to Brown in the Hayward left corner and Brown moved it to junior Steven Swanson behind the net.  Swanson moved out front on a wrap around attempt.  Hand pushed the shot away but Swanson stayed with it and knocked the rebound in.

Swanson's goal gave the Wildcats' confidence and deflated the Hurricanes' like an old tire in a dump.  Burke added to USM's lead when he picked off a clearing pass at the Hayward blue line and lined a low shot past Hand at 14:03.

USM scored two more in the final period.  The first of their final two goals came at 2:10 of the third period while the teams were skating four a side.  Sukhanov intercepted a Hayward pass at the Hayward blue line.  He sent the puck in to Wackym who backhanded a high shot into the net.

USM's final goal came minutes later.  Swanson sent a pass to Brown in the Hayward right circle and Brown whipped it in at 4:11.

In the game, Hand made 33 saves and Botcher made 21.

The results of the tournament left USM with a13-6 record.  The Wildcats return to Milwaukee to play Homestead in a game at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday at the Ozaukee Ice Center in Cedarburg.