4.1 seconds.  That was all that was left.  4.1 seconds.  But it was all that co-captain Margot Peterson needed. Peterson scored a rebound goal off a shot by co-captain Ellie Wigdale with just 4.1 seconds left in the WIAA state tournament Sectional 4 Regional final held at USM Friday evening to give the University School co-op girls hockey team a 3-2 play off victory over the Appleton co-op.

"When Ellie shot it, I threw my whole body at the net, thinking the puck is going go into the net with me.  I actually cried tears of joy after it went in," said Peterson. "It was a real team effort."

It was a power play goal.  Appleton took a penalty with just 1:33 left in the game to give the Wildcats the opportunity they needed. They took full advantage. Senior Megan Bailey, junior Laine Tomesch, and Peterson each fired hard shots that Appleton's junior goalie Libby Breaker turned aside before Wigdale got the puck.  She collected a rebound in the left corner, swung through the circle and let loose another hard shot.  The puck hit Breaker's pads and dropped into the crease. Both Peterson and senior Abby Berman leaped at it. It was Peterson's stick that hit it and the momentum of the leaping line mates that pushed it over the goal line.

"I'm telling ya, we survived," said USM's head coach Jason Woods after the game.  "Appleton's a talented team, but we survived, thanks to that power play."

Appleton demonstrated its talent by out-shooting USM 30 to 24 in the game.  Appleton also forged a comeback from a two-goal deficit to set up the final seconds' drama.

USM scored the game's first goal. In the opening minutes of the first period, Wigdale made a play that she would repeat in the game's final four seconds.  On a power play, She got control of a loose puck in the left corner, wheeled through the circle and blasted a shot past Breaker at 3:35.

The Wildcats scored again in the second period.  Forechecking in the Appleton zone, co-captain Sally James got the puck and sent it to Bailey.  Bailey passed it back to senior defenseman Jessica Gold at the point. Gold lined a low shot through a group of players in front of Breaker, and the puck flew just inside the goalpost at 10:21.

Appleton began its comeback late in the second period.  Senior Anna Westmark grabbed a loose puck just inside the USM blue line.  She stickhandled past two defenders, swept through the crease and snapped the puck past USM's sophomore goaltender Heidi Golembiewski at 16:24.

The tying goal came at 5:35 of the third period.  Sophomore Emma Kohl picked off an errant USM pass at the USM blue line, skated in and ripped a shot past Golembiewski.

Appleton continued to put pressure on Golembiewski and her defensive cohorts, Peterson, Gold, co-captain Rebecca Hart, senior Billie Fritz, and junior Meredith Behm.  The Wildcats deftly blocked shots, cleared rebounds, and lifted sticks, and kept Appleton from scoring again.  The defense’s effort helped USM survive, then the Wildcats’ final goal kept USM in the playoffs.

In the game Golembiewski made 28 saves, and Breaker made 21 saves.

The loss ended Appleton's season with a 14-9-2 record.  USM is now 16-7-2.  The Wildcats advance to the Sectional semi-final game.  They play the Kettle Moraine co-op at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21st at The Ponds in Brookfield.