The University School co-op girls’ hockey team defeated Northland Pines 7-1 in the semi-finals of the Culver’s Cup Tournament on Sunday evening at Hartmeyer Ice Arena in Madison.

The Wildcats scored five unanswered goals in the first period to take an early lead.  They added a goal in each of the following periods before Cali Sanborn was able to score the Eagles’ lone goal.  Nicole Unsworth had a hat trick for the Wildcats.  Rose Revolinski scored twice, and Caitlin McBride and Sloan Sullivan each added a goal to the Wildcats’ total.

“We won 7-1, and that is great, but I know we have another level,” said Jason Woods, USM’s head coach.  “What we can't do is get complacent or satisfied.  We have to move the puck, play team hockey, and continue to work to improve.  Hopefully we will play together and have a great performance in the championship game.”

The Wildcats scored the game’s first goal at 4:59 of the opening period.  Nina Andersen got the puck as she left the USM zone.  The speedy forward headed down the left boards and across the Eagles’ blue line.  Unsworth had joined her on a two-on-one rush, so Andersen delivered a pass to her stick.  Unsworth swooped past the defenseman, pulled the puck to left forcing Jenna Paez, the Northland Pines goalie, to dive, then Unsworth sweetly slipped the puck into the net.

The score was soon 2-0.  As the Wildcats forechecked in the Eagles’ zone, Unsworth got the puck and took a shot.  The rebound cascaded to Revolinski in the slot.  She fired it high into the left side of the net at 5:20.

The Wildcats scored again at 7:21.  On a D to D regroup near the USM blue line, Sullivan crossed the puck to Hannah Koniar.  Koniar deftly passed it forward to Unsworth along the left boards.  Unsworth did the rest.  She raced into the Pines’ zone, deking two defensemen as she headed in.  Nearing the goal, she put a move on Paez forcing the goalie to drop.  As she moved past, Unsworth tucked the puck into the open net to give USM a 3-0 lead.

A power play opportunity led to USM’s next goal.  As the Wildcats methodically moved the puck around the Northland Pines zone, the puck went to Sullivan on the left point.  She gunned a hard shot toward the goal.  The resulting rebound flew to Unsworth high in the right circle.  Unsworth skated in, swept past a defender, then lifted a backhander under the cross bar at 10:07.

Less than a minute later the Wildcats had another.  Jessica Malloy got the puck on a breakout play and skated through center ice.  She moved into the left circle and drilled a low shot at Paez.  The rebound popped to Camille Marks who had rushed to the net.  Marks’s shot rebounded again.  Trailing the play, McBride moved to the loose puck and backhanded it over the fallen goalie at 10:42.

The Wildcats’ play became more individualistic in the second period; the team scored only one goal in the period as a result.  It came at 13:46 when Sullivan took a pass from Unsworth, skated into the Eagles’ zone and blasted a shot past Paez to put the clock on running time.

USM scored again at 6:36 of the third period.  Skating into the Eagles’ end, Unsworth sent a pass to Andersen. Andersen fired a shot.  The rebound came out front. Like a pastry chef icing a cake then putting it in the oven, Revolinski snapped it in.

The Eagles’ scored the game’s final goal just over a minute later.  Hustling in the corner, Allison Sauvola got the puck and sent it behind the net to Emily Saltenberger.  Saltenberger passed it to Sanborn out front.  Sanborn quickly fired it out of the reach of Liz Ostermeyer, USM’s goaltender, for the goal at 7:46.

USM is now 9-1 overall and 2-0 in the Eastern Shores Conference.  The Wildcats play the St. Croix Valley Fusion in the tournament championship on Monday, December 29th at the Madison Ice Arena in Madison beginning at 2:15 pm.