It was a classic. It was fast-paced. It was close. It went into overtime. It was so exciting that true fans did not want it to end.  But it had to, and it did.  In the end it was the Marquette hockey team that defeated University School 3-2 when Senior Cam Biel steered the puck into the USM net off a pass by senior Jack Mayer on a two-on-one rush at 3:31 of overtime.

The crowd that packed the USM rink Tuesday got the best that two of the top high school hockey teams in Wisconsin could offer.  The first two periods were scoreless and equal.  They featured clean checking, great shooting, and outstanding goaltending. Marquette's junior goalie Mike Roznik made 17 saves in the first 34 minutes while USM's sophomore goalkeeper Bryan Botcher turned away 16 shots.

Marquette changed the scoreless deadlock early in the third period.  Junior Grif Jeszka took a high shot from the USM blue line. The puck may have sailed over the goal, but a USM defender knocked it down with his stick.  The puck dropped in front of Marquette senior Joe Llaurado who was skating across the slot.  Llaurado gunned a low shot into the net at 0:24.

The goal bestirred the fans but just added to the determination of the Wildcats. Several minutes later they tied the score while on a power play.  Sophomore Vadim Sukhanov collected a loose puck in the left corner of the Marquette zone.  Sukhanov skated out into near circle and wired a wrist shot past Roznik at 6:13.

Aggressive forchecking in the Marquette gave the Wildcats the lead just over two minutes later.  Senior Nathan Burke sent the puck to senior Ashton Wackym in the right circle. Fighting off a check, Wackym, with one hand, pushed the puck across the slot to his classmate Corey Roadhouse at the far post. Roadhouse immediately pushed the puck into the net at 8:17.

Marquette tied it once again at 12:46 when sophomore Bryan Carroll passed the puck to junior defenseman James Lueken at the USM blue line.  Lueken's low shot weaved it's way through a crowd in front of the net and slipped into the goal just inside the right post to make it 2-2.

A penalty in the last seconds of the third period forced USM to play the first two minutes of the overtime a man down, but the Wildcats stopped Marquette's power play.  USM had a great scoring chance a minute later when junior defenseman Joey Judge skated down the ice deep in the USM zone and nearly stuffed the puck into the Marquette net.  But Roznik stopped it.  The rebound came out to Mayer, and he and Biel skated the other way to score the game winner.

In the game Roznik made 24 saves and Botcher made 30.

Marquette's record is now 15-4.  USM is now 13-9.  The Wildcats travel to play another to team, Madison Edgewood, at 8:00 p.m. Saturday at the Madison Ice Arena .