Boys hockey: Matsu-sanity sweeps Verona in sectional semifinal win
Sets up rematch with second-seeded Middleton on Saturday |
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Sports editor In a battle of two of the eight Mr. Hockey finalists, Waunakee’s Jason Ford of fifth-seeded Waunakee may have accounted for more points than Eddie Matsushima Thursday evening inside the Eagles Nest Ice Arena, but it was top-seeded Verona that got the win. Unlike Ford, Matsushima didn’t need to carry his team upon his shoulders. He didn’t even need to rack up the most points, as that honor went to senior Zac Keryluk, who netted a pair of power-plays on his way to a hat trick. He also assisted on Charlie Parker’s goal as Verona hung on 8-6. Seemingly on the ice all game, Jason Ford kept the Warriors’ hopes alive with nine seconds remaining in the second as he buried a long rebound past Verona’s Matt Opsal. Though Matsushima only scored once in the game, he certainly picked a key moment to unleash the go-ahead goal. “Tonight wasn’t about Mr. Hockey,” Matsushima said. “Jason and I didn’t say anything to each other during the game, but we both knew that one of us was going to win the game.” With the game deadlocked at 5-all Matsushima drove to the net nine seconds into the third period and wristed a low shot past the glove of Waunakee goaltender Mitch Horras, which finally turned the momentum in the Wildcats’ favor. Sophomore Brogan Baker and his younger brother Tarek officially sealed the Warriors’ fate five minutes later. Just before absorbing a big hit, Tarek slipped a pass off to his brother, who deftly found the back of the net. “I didn’t even know what was happening,” Brogan said. “Tarek comes down and goes around a guy and then got rocked. I didn’t know if it was the game-winner or not, I was more worried about Tarek.” Senior Michael Stevens added an insurance goal at 14:36 to send Verona back to the sectional finals for the first time since the Wildcats reached the WIAA state tournament in 2009. Verona, ranked third on the WisconsinPrepHockey state poll, trailed the Warriors early in the first period before Zach Jones, Keryluk, and Parker scored to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead. Verona led by two goals after Keryluk scored on the power play early in the second period, but it was the Warriors’ man-advantage that kept the game close as Connor Scheffler and Blake Anderson scored just over a minute-and-a-half apart in the second. Opsal finished with 22 saves in the win, while Horras turned in 33. Meanwhile, Jason Ford and teammate Anderson both scored two goals and added a pair of assists for the Warriors. Shortly after they announced the Middleton and Oregon semifinal game was tied 1-1 over the intercom, Verona head coach Joel Marshall said, “Ultimately, I want it to be a sweeter victory. If we do win on Saturday, I’d like to have that revenge on Middleton.” Marshall and the Wildcats get that opportunity 6 p.m. Saturday inside Madison Ice Arena as the Wildcats’ victory setup a third showdown between the Wildcats and second-seeded Middleton, which rolled past Oregon 4-1. “We’ve been playing subpar teams all year and killing them,” Keryluk said. “Then when we get to a game where we have to put up a fight to win – we hadn’t done that before tonight, which is why we stumbled against Middleton (losing one and tying in the other).” Verona 7, MG 0 Matsushima scored four goals and Stevens assisted on four last Thursday as the top-seeded Wildcats cruised 7-0 over eighth-seeded Monona Grove in the regional finals. Nolan Kepler, Keryluk and Louie Ellis added a goal. Opsal stopped 17 shots. |
![Verona senior forward Zac Keryluk (17) and defenseman Alex Watzke celebrate with the Wildcats student section Tuesday evening following a second-period goal by Keryluk. The top-seeded Wildcats, ranked third in the state held off the visiting Waunakee Warriors, 8-6. [Photo by Jeremy Jones]](http://connectverona.com/SiteImages/Article/4249a.jpg)
