An unlikely source struck at just the right time for the Verona boys hockey team.

With the game knotted at 2 in the third period Saturday night, senior forward Ben Scherschel scored just his fourth goal of the season to send the Wildcats back to the WIAA state tournament with a 4-2 sectional final victory over Middleton at Madison Ice Arena.

“Only scoring three times during the regular season, I’ve been past due,” said Scherschel, who played through ankle pain since Verona’s third game but scored the winner on this night with just less than 9 minutes left. “But this game puts all of that (pain) in the past.”

The Wildcats (25-1-1) advanced to Thursday’s state quarterfinal against Sparta.

“We marked this day on the calendar before the season even started,” Marshall said. “This is something our players have been expecting, but we had to win some hard fought battles to make it” to state.

Scherschel’s decider came off a rebound as Middleton freshman goaltender Max McConnell (24 saves) could not glove Verona sophomore forward Charlie Parker’s initial shot.

“That goal couldn’t be sweeter for him,” Verona coach Joel Marshall said. “He’s regularly in pain because his ankle hurts so badly, but tonight he added a little bit of sweetness to ignore that pain.”

Looking for the equalizer in the game’s waning moments, Middleton threw numerous chances at Verona goaltender Matt Opsal. But the senior held the fort, allowing senior forward Eddie Matsushima to put away the defending state runners-up with empty-netter.

“It was just me and three other teammates” skating up the ice, said Matsushima, the only Wildcats player with state experience after skating in the 2009 tournament. “It was just an unbelievable feeling knowing” they were going to win.

Before Scherschel’s heroics, Middleton (17-6-2) owned the upper hand through the first two periods despite registering just nine shots. The Cardinals, who owned a win and a tie in their two previous meetings with the Big Eight Conference champion Wildcats, scored a pair of shorthanded goals to forge 2-2 tie.

“I really thought this game was going to OT,” Middleton co-coach Steve Libert said. “But their goalie made some nice saves and Verona just has a talented hockey team.”

Middleton struck first, 51⁄2 minutes in when senior Brandon Thayer put away a penalty shot high over Opsal’s glove.

Late in the second period, Middleton senior forward Adam DeRosa tied the game at 2 when he raced down the ice off a defensive zone faceoff and burned Opsal on a breakaway.

“There’s nothing like the feeling of scoring a goal in this game,” DeRosa said. “But we can’t be disappointed with the result, posting a 1-1-1 record against the third-best team in the state.”

Verona took its first lead 11 seconds into the second period when junior forward Zach Jones carried the opening faceoff down the left wing and beat McConnell high to the glove side.

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