The University School co-op girls’ hockey team won the University School Girls Hockey Classic Tournament by defeating the Stoughton Icebergs 5-0 Saturday afternoon at USM.

In the tournament the Wildcats outscored their opponents 28-1.  They defeated Brookfield 12-1 Thursday, shutout Waupaca 11-0 Friday, and blanked Stoughton 5-0 Saturday.

Senior goaltender Jaime Hathaway led the Wildcats to Saturday’s victory over Stoughton.  Hathaway stopped all 14 shots the Icebergs fired at her.

Junior captain Nina Andersen was the game’s offensive star. She scored three goals for the Wildcats and had an assist.

Nicole Unsworth scored a goal and had three assists.  The freshman has scored at least one goal in every game for the Wildcats so far this year.   Unsworth leads the state in scoring with 25 goals and 40 total points in 8 games.

Junior captain Rose Revolinski had 2 assists for the Wildcats. During the tournament, the line of Andersen, Unsworth and Revolinski tallied 20 goals and had 21 assists.  USM’s head coach Jason Woods commented, “When they’re working together, they’re dangerous, very dangerous.”

Junior Jenna Vuorinen also scored a goal for the Wildcats against Stoughton.  It was Vuorinen’s first goal in her career on the USM team.

After the tournament victory Woods said, “It was a good win. We played very well today offensively and defensively.  We had a good tempo all-day and played hard through the whole game. Stoughton gave us good competition. We knew they would. Their goalie, Kenzie Torpy was the state’s top goalie last year.  She’s very, very good.  Our girls had a challenge going against her; we had to find a way to put the puck in the net.  We also only gave up a few quality scoring chances. Jaime had a great game, and our defense took care of business.  I told the girls before the game that we have to play defense first.  We did. We’re really starting to pride ourselves on defense. We killed five penalties. Our defensemen, Greta Kobylinski, Hannah Koniar, Katie Lamoreaux, Rachel Hoge, Delaney Weiss, and Sydney Fritz are learning a lot and making it work.”

The Wildcats scored what proved to be the game-winning goal just 5:52 into the first period.  Andersen got the puck in the USM zone and whizzed a stretch pass to Unsworth who was cutting across center ice. Like a tornado across Kansas, Unsworth powered unimpeded into the Stoughton end.  She moved in on Torpy, pulled the puck past her, and fired it inside the post for the goal.

USM’s next goal was also scored on a breakaway.  Unsworth got the puck in the USM zone and chipped it to Revolinski who was moving toward center ice.  Revolinski spotted Andersen ahead and lined the puck to her.  Andersen gathered it in and sped past the Stoughton defense. She sprinted into the Stoughton end, swept across the crease, and slipped the puck across the goal line at 9:34.

Determination and hustle resulted in the Wildcats’ third goal.  In the USM end Kobylinski out-fought a Stoughton forward and came away with the puck.  She sent it to Vuorinen on the right boards.  Like a guided missile, Vuorinen roared toward the Stoughton goal.  Revolinski jumped into the play, creating a two-on-one.  Nearing the top of the right circle, Vuorinen zinged a pass across to Revolinski.  Revolinski fired a low shot that rang off the cross bar behind Torpy, who was sliding across to face her.  Vuorinen had not quit skating.  She raced to the loose puck and tapped it into the empty goal, giving USM a solid 3-0 lead at 7:38 of the second period.

Andersen scored two more goals in the third period.  Once again, Kobylinski gained control of the puck in the USM zone and sent it up the boards to Unsworth.  Unsworth fired it ahead to Andersen, and once again, Andersen took off on a breakaway.  Nearing Torpy she fired it hard and scored at 3:02.

The speedy Andersen recorded her hat trick by scoring on another breakaway goal off another breakout pass from Unsworth at 12:43.

USM is now 6-1-1 and 3-0 in the Eastern Shores Conference. The Wildcats take on Fond du Lac in a conference contest at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 23rd at USM.