The University School co-op girls’ hockey team defeated Mahtomedi High School of Mahtomedi, Minnesota 4-3 on Friday in the opening round of the Border Battle Tournament in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Despite being out shot 29-20, and out played, the Wildcats capitalized on three power play goals early in the third period to take the game.  Nicole Unsworth scored two goals for the Wildcats.  Caitlin McBride and Sloan Sullivan scored the Wildcats’ other two goals.

Jason Woods, USM’s coach, said, “We should have lost.  If it hadn’t been for those penalties on Mahtomedi, we probably would have.  We did not play well.  I was disappointed in our performance tonight.  We’ll see if we can get better tomorrow.”

The Wildcats took the lead in the first period.  As the Wildcats forechecked aggressively, Unsworth got the puck below the goal line in the Mahtomedi zone.  She passed it out front to McBride who was all alone in the high slot.  McBride got the puck and fired a shot through the five hole of Mahtomedi’s goalie, Johanna Ficcadenti at 3:46.

That was the only scoring until a wild third period.  In the meantime, the Zephyrs had opportunities, but Liz Ostermeyer, the Wildcats’ goaltender, prevented the Zephyrs from scoring.

The Zephyrs finally had the opportunity they needed.  It was given them when they were shorthanded at 3:29 of the third period.  Keily Heinl swiped the puck from a USM defenseman’s stick at the USM blue line and took off on a breakaway.  She skated into the USM zone, swept to the left as she neared the crease, and tucked the puck past the diving Ostermeyer to tie the game.

The Wildcats still had a power play and seconds later they had a 5 on 3 advantage.  After the Zephyrs sent the puck down the ice, Unsworth went back to get it.  Her stick loaded with the puck, Unsworth took off like Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve.  She swept past all three Mahtomedi defenders, then zeroed in on Ficcadenti.  Unsworth’s low shot went in at 4:36.

The Wildcats still had a power play, and, consequently, they scored again.  They moved the puck into the Mahtomedi zone and began to pass it around.  Eventually Nina Andersen sent it to Unsworth on the side boards.  Unsworth passed it to Sullivan at the point.  As her teammates screened the goalie, Sullivan lined a high shot into the net at 5:46.

Less than a minute later, another Mahtomedi penalty gave the Wildcats another power play goal.  As the Zephyrs tried to clear the puck from their zone, Unsworth intercepted it just inside the blue line along the right boards.  She skated into the slot, stickhandled around two defenders, and once again headed in on Ficcadenti.  Another low shot, another USM goal at 6:20.

The Zephyrs continued to out-play the Wildcats, and they tightened the score at 9:30.  Coming out of the Mahtomedi end, Heinl passed the puck up to Jordyn Alpine in center ice.  Alpine forwarded it to Jessica Hagstrom near the USM blue line.  Hagstrom skated in, cut to the high slot, and lofted a shot high into the upper corner of the USM net.

The Zephyrs moved even closer on another power play.  In the Wildcats’ zone, Karleen Yapello moved the puck down the left boards to Natalie St. Martin.  St. Martin skated into the low circle then whipped a pass across the low slot to Heinl on the backdoor.  Heinl snapped it in at 12:53.

The Wildcats held the Zephyrs off for the final 4:07 of the game and held on for the victory.

USM is now 6-1 and 2-0 in the Eastern Shores Conference. The Wildcats play North St. Paul of Minnesota on Saturday, December 20th in the final round of the Border Battle in Hudson, WI beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Nicole Unsworth scored six goals and assisted on a seventh to lead the University School co-op girls’ hockey team to a 7-1 non-conference victory over North St. Paul High School of Minnesota Saturday in the final round of the Border Battle in Hudson, WI.

The victory was a team effort.  The Wildcats played well defensively and poured a constant stream of shots on the North St. Paul net.   It was Unsworth, however, who figured a way to get 7 of USM’s 64 shots past Marti Larson, the Polars’ stalwart goalie.  The sophomore scored the Wildcats’ first five goals, assisted on junior Caitlin McBride’s goal, then punctuated the day’s predominate performance by scoring USM’s final goal.  Senior Rose Revolinski also had a fine day, assisting on five of Unsworth’s goals. The assists put Revolinski on top of the state’s leaders in assists. Liz Ostermeyer, USM’s sophomore goaltender, had a good day too. Ostermeyer turned aside 18 of the 19 shots the Minnesotans fired her way.

For the weekend Unsworth scored 8 of the Wildcats’ 11 goals and assisted on the other three. She tallied 2 goals and 2 assists in the Wildcats’ 4-3 victory over Mahtomedi High School of Mahtomedi, MN on Friday evening.

Asked about the day, Unsworth, with an eccentric smile on her face, said, “It was fun.”

Jason Woods, USM’s head coach, also commented, “Obviously Nicole is a special player.  Today was a highlight reel of what she is capable of doing any day.  I’m very impressed.  North St. Paul’s goalie was solid.  She stopped us until Nina (Andersen) and Rose got the puck to Nicole.  Our team played a good game.  We got back to the basics of accountability, responsibility, and respect for each other, the team, the coaches, and the opponents.  We will move forward by living under those simple guidelines.”

The Wildcats led in shot 7-2 early in the first period, but Larson stymied them on each occasion.  The frustration for the Wisconsinites then intensified when the Polars scored the game’s first goal.  Sarah Warner got the puck along the boards in the Wildcats’ zone and passed it below the goal line to Abby Glaus.  Glaus spotted Lily Langevin unmarked in the slot and put the puck on her tape.  Langevin backhanded a high shot past Ostermeyer at 8:32.

The Wildcats kept at it, and it was not long before Unsworth tied the game.  Nina Andersen grabbed a loose puck in center ice and crossed it to Unsworth who was speeding toward the Polars’ net.  Unsworth pulled the puck to her backhand around one defenseman, then she pulled it back to her forehand to amaze another, then she deked Larson and slid the puck past her at 10:58 of the first period.

Unsworth put the Wildcats into the lead about two minutes later.  USM defenseman Hannah Koniar started the play in the USM end by sending a breakout pass to Revolinski.  As she skated into center ice, Revolinski saw Unsworth dashing through the zone and passed her the puck.  Unsworth shifted her speed to a higher level and sped past the defenders.  She closed in on Larson.  A quick move made the goalie drop.  Unsworth then moved past Larson, and like she was placing a present under the tree, Unsworth slipped the puck across the goal line at 12:51.

The Wildcats increased their lead with three goals in the second period.  The first of the three was scored at 4:08.  Once again Revolinski and Unsworth combined for the goal.  Revolinski won a battle for the puck along the boards near the USM blue line and tapped it up to Unsworth.  Unsworth raced like a thoroughbred through center ice.  As she entered the Polars’ end, she cut to the right, then she swooped past a defender to the left.  Skating across the low slot, she lifted a backhander under the bar of the North St. Paul goal, astounding Larson, the players, and the crowd.

 The Wildcats’ fourth goal came on a power play.  They got the puck in the Polars’ zone and passed it efficiently around the zone.  It went to Sloan Sullivan at the center of the blue line.  She darted a shot-pass toward the net.  The puck went to Lauren Hennelly positioned to the right of the goal.  She passed it out to Revolinski who fired a low shot toward the far post.  Unsworth moved to it and snapped it in at 14:00. “That was great puck movement,” Woods said, smiling at the players’ power play prowess.

The Wildcats wouldn’t give up.  They scored their next goal with just 1 second left in the second period.  With five seconds on the clock, Revolinski got the puck in the middle of the Polars’ zone.  She skated toward the blue line, then circled to the right.  She lined a shot on net. Unsworth knocked the rebound in just before the buzzer to give the Wildcats a firm four-goal lead.

The Polars’ were justifiably wary of Unsworth’s abilities.  Consequently, they unwittingly gave the Wildcats a glittering goal scoring chance.  As Unsworth skated with the puck into the right circle of the North St. Paul zone, two defenders moved to her, and Larson moved out of her crease to face to the impending danger.  Like a dancer performing the Nutcracker ballet, Unsworth twirled away from the opponents nearing her.  She slipped the puck to McBride in the slot.  The Wildcat forward looked.  Like she was seeing a goal scorer’s pot of gold, McBride saw the whole net wide open in front of her.  She stepped toward it and calmly fired the puck in at 9:20.

Unsworth tallied her sixth goal, and Revolinski her fifth assist just two minutes later on what looked like a taped replay of earlier ones.  Skating in center ice, Revolinski passed the puck to Unsworth who, once again, sped past the defensemen, and, once again, deked the goalie to deposit the puck across the goal line at 11:21.

After defeating the Minnesotans at the border, USM has a 7-1 record overall and a 2-0 mark in the Eastern Shores Conference. The Wildcats play the Badger Thunder at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, December 27th in the opening round of the Culver’s Cup at the Hartmeyer Ice Arena in Madison, WI.