The University School co-op girls’ hockey team defeated the Point-Rapids Red Panthers 3-0 in the opening round of the Culver Cup Tournament in Madison Saturday afternoon.

The Wildcats dominated the contest. They outshot the Red Panthers 50-9 in the game. The Red Panthers played tight to their goal, however, allowing USM to score only three goals, one each by junior Nina Andersen, freshman Nicole Unsworth and junior Rose Revolinski. Senior Heidi Golembiewski, who has not played goaltender since her sophomore year, started for the Wildcats, made 9 saves, and recorded a shutout.

USM coach Jason Woods said, “I was worried about our performance during our warm-up, which was not very good. I thought we played okay, and we got the win. I did think our defensive play was very good. Our defense moved the puck well. We’re getting better and better. We only scored three goals, but we can’t expect to score in double digits like we have in past games. This tournament will be a good test for us. Point-Rapids played well. Superior, who we play tomorrow, has some very good skaters. And the other teams we may face are both ranked in the top-ten. I like our chances, but we will have to play with more intensity and attention to detail.”

The Wildcats scored their first goal at 2:01 of the first period. Sophomore Caitlin McBride got a loose puck along the boards in center ice and passed it to Andersen who was skating toward her. Andersen sped down the left boards into the Red Panthers’ end. As she approached the goal line, she cut toward the net. Andersen swept into the crease and jammed the puck under the Red Panthers’ starting goalie, Merina Chappel.

USM added a goal later in the first period. Revolinski took the puck from a Red Panther skater in center ice and chipped it to Andersen who skated into the Point-Rapids zone. Andersen saw Unsworth racing down the far side and passed the puck right to her stick. Unsworth skated into the low slot and whipped a wrist shot past Chappel at 10:37.

The Wildcats fired 16 shots at Chappel and her replacement Emily Bubla in the second period, but the USM shots were to no avail. It wasn’t until the third period that the Wildcats were able to score once more.

That final goal came at 9:28. Off a face-off in the Red Panthers’ zone, the Wildcats got the puck behind the net. Andersen won the battle and pushed it past a defender to Unsworth. Unsworth pulled away from the scrum, faced the slot and spotted Revolinski gliding toward the net. Unsworth passed the puck out from the behind the net. Revolinski caught it and fired. Goal USM.

USM is now 8-1-1, while the Red Panthers fall to 3-5-1. The Wildcats play Superior in the tournament’s second round at 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, December 28th at the Madison Ice Arena.