The University School of Milwaukee (USM) Wildcats continued their winning ways over the Wausau West Warriors with a 5-3 victory on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at Marathon Park Ice Arena in Wausau. This win extends USM's winning streak against Wausau West to five games, with the Warriors' last triumph in the series dating back to 2019.

USM coach Corbin McGuire praised his team's execution, saying, "Going into the game our group talked about what it takes to have success on the road against strong opponents like Wausau West, and from the coaching staff perspective, we thought they executed that extremely well." The Wildcats indeed set the tone early, surging to a 3-0 lead by the end of the first period.

The opening goal came shortly after a power play when senior forward Mateo Nunag retrieved the puck in the corner and delivered a precise pass to Everett Waltersdorf in the high slot, who fired a one-timer for the early lead. The Wildcats' second goal materialized from a defensive miscue by the Warriors during a power play, allowing Nunag to break free and convert a breakaway opportunity. Nunag struck again before the period concluded, capitalizing on another breakaway to extend the lead to 3-0. By the first intermission, USM had outshot Wausau West 17-15.

McGuire noted how critical this fast start was: "We got off to a great start by keeping the game plan simple, getting all 3+ lines involved early, and generating offense with our team speed. By having a great start, we were able to continue to build off the momentum that created, as well as capitalize on some prime scoring chances."

The second period saw the Warriors intensify their efforts, outshooting the Wildcats 16-13. However, USM's Nunag remained unstoppable, netting two additional goals to complete a remarkable four-goal performance. McGuire highlighted Nunag’s breakout game: "Mateo Nunag, who ended up with 4 goals on the day, is a prime example of that as he has had a great deal of offense created over the past few games but had not cashed in, and against Wausau was finally able to finish on his chances."

Despite a prolonged major power play covering the final four minutes of the second for USM, the Warriors' defense held firm, preventing further damage.

Entering the third period with a 5-0 deficit, Wausau West showcased resilience and dominated play, outshooting USM 16-9. Their persistence paid off when Caden Bohlin scored on a one-timer from the slot, assisted by Hendrix Damrow from behind the net. The Warriors continued their offensive push, with Tyler Wendell narrowing the gap to 5-2 off a feed from Chase Crass. Shortly thereafter, Crass capitalized on a power play, blasting a shot that brought the Warriors within two goals.

McGuire acknowledged the third-period challenge: "Unfortunately for us, our 3rd period was not as strong, as we played a little more complacent/tentative and did not match the intensity that Wausau brought with a great push back. This gave our group an opportunity to learn a great lesson about competing for a complete 3 periods, and credit to the Wausau West players and staff for having a great 3rd period and getting their team right back into the game all the way until the end."

In the final minutes, Wausau West pulled their goalie for an extra attacker and gained a six-on-four advantage due to a USM penalty. Despite sustained pressure, the Wildcats' defense and goaltender Brady Farrow stood tall, preserving the 5-3 victory. Farrow was instrumental in the win, recording 44 saves. For the Warriors, sophomore Julian Scalcucci made 25 saves over the first two periods, while freshman Orrin Binkley stopped nine shots in the third.

Looking ahead, Wausau West is set to host Stevens Point on Tuesday, December 10. Meanwhile, USM will face Stevens Point on Thursday, December 26, at the Community First Champion Center in Grand Chute. McGuire reflected on the game and rivalry: "At the end of the day, we were very satisfied with the result against a very strong Wausau West team on the road, in what has become a great tradition of playing against each other the first Saturday of December."