The Capital City Cougars co-op of Sun Prairie had a hard time defending against the University School co-op girls’ hockey team Friday night. The Wildcats put on a PhD level goal-scoring performance as they skated to an 8-1victory over the Cougars in the non-conference game at USM.
“It was our best game of the year so far,” said Jake Haury, USM’s head coach. “The girls were unselfish and played with energy all the way through. It was a good win for us. Things are coming together for this team.”
Junior Nicole Unsworth led the Wildcats with three goals. Freshmen Gaby Turer and Claire Ali each scored two goals and senior Hannah Koniar tallied one. Freshman goaltender Marie Detert made 11 saves as she recorded her sixth victory.
The Wildcats started the scoring at 7:19 of the first period. Unsworth grabbed a loose puck from the boards in center ice and wheeled back toward the USM blue line before turning and heading toward the Cougars’ goal. She dashed between two defenders in center ice. As she crossed the Cougars’ blue line, she veered around another defender to the right, then outraced the two defensemen and skated toward sophomore Taylor Thornton, the Cougars’ goalie. From the edge of the crease, Unsworth fired the puck past Thornton.
The Wildcats’ next goal was worthy of a doctorate in the philosophy of team play. Taking a center ice face off, senior Caitlin McBride drew the puck back to freshman defenseman Libby Hennelly. Hennelly sent a D-to-D pass to her partner, junior Rachel Hoge. Hoge then passed the puck to Unsworth on the left sideboards. Unsworth chipped it along the boards toward the Cougars’ blue line. McBride curved across and pulled the puck away from a defender. McBride sped down the boards, cut into the circle and saw Turer flying toward the far post. McBride gunned the puck to Turer’s stick, and like she was finishing a well-wrought thesis, Turer touched the puck into the net at 11:48.
“Every one of our skaters on the ice collaborated on that goal,” said coach Ally Strickler. “In the locker room after the first period, we told the girls it was the best goal of the year. We then told them to make even better ones as the year goes on.”
WiPH Game Summaries
Michigan Seniors slip past Wisconsin HP-18
- By Matt Carey, Contributor 04/27/2024, 7:15am CDT
North Dakota edges Wisconsin Seniors 3-1
- By Matt Carey, Contributor 04/27/2024, 7:15am CDT
Wisconsin Seniors lose 1-3 to Minnesota HP-18
- By Matt Carey, Contributor 04/26/2024, 6:45am CDT
Wisconsin HP-18 loses to Minnesota Seniors 2-3
- By Matt Carey, Contributor 04/26/2024, 6:45am CDT
WEHL 16U Southwest Skate All The Way To USA Hockey Semi-Finals
- By Coach Hoehn, WEHL 04/16/2024, 5:45pm CDT
WEHL 18U South East Girls at USA Hockey Nationals, March 20-24
- By Bill Berg Jr, WiPH Staff 03/20/2024, 7:45pm CDT
TW, Wisc Selects, and WEHL at Central Districts
- By Bill Berg Jr, WiPH Staff 03/16/2024, 9:45am CDT
19U Girls, 18U Boys Lead Six Team Wisconsin Teams to Central Districts
- By Bill Berg Jr, WiPH Staff 03/11/2024, 11:30am CDT
Tritons Stifle Stars to Go Back-to-Back
- By Bill Berg Jr, WiPH Staff 03/02/2024, 9:00pm CST
Storm Win Battle of Last Two State Champions
- By Bill Berg Jr, WiPH Staff 03/02/2024, 4:30pm CST
The Wildcats came out of the locker room ready to score more. They scored their third goal at 2:49 of the second period. McBride stole the puck from a defender high in the Cougars’ end. As she stepped toward the net, she dropped a pass to Unsworth who scooted through the left circle. As she neared the crease, Unsworth whipped a pass to Turer, who was sitting at the backdoor like a hungry cat. Once again, Turer turned the pass into a goal with a quick touch.
The Cougars got into the scoring action just seconds later. Off the face off in center ice, the puck went into the USM zone. Freshman Marie Griffiths tapped the puck off a USM player’s stick. The bounce took a funny bounce off the boards and flashed in front of the net. Junior Anika Johnson was there and uncovered and she snapped a shot into the net at 3:00.
It wasn’t long before the Wildcats’ lead was back to three. McBride won a face off in the Cougars’ left circle, pulling the puck back to sophomore defenseman Hannah Gold at the left point. Gold sent it down the boards to Unsworth. Unsworth skated through the circle a lofted a shot past Thorton from the crease at 4:31.
The Wildcats scored again 14 seconds later. Freshman center Karly Lamoreaux won the center ice face off to the right to freshman Lexi Epperson who sped into the Cougars’ zone. Epperson whirled behind the net then passed the puck to Koniar back at the blue line. Koniar immediately blazed a shot into the net at 4:45.
USM made it 6-1 a short while later. Junior Cameil Bowler pulled the puck from a scrum in the Cougars’ right corner and sent it along the boards to Hennelly at the top of the circle. Hennelly knocked it back along the boards. The puck hit a defender and popped to Epperson. Epperson jabbed a short pass to Ali in the righ circle. Ali spun, took two steps toward the night and sniped a shot up where you keep your summer hats on the far side of the net at 6:19.
The Wildcats scored again at 8:49. Freshman Hannah Neudorfer got the puck off a Cougar clear just inside the Cougars’ blue line. She clipped it ahead to Unsworth on the right boards. Unsworth swerved, stickhandled past three defenders as she crossed through the slot. Near the left circle she flicked a backhand shot between Thornton and the post.
Unsworth’s hat trick goal put the clock on running time. The Wildcats had time for one more goal early in the third period. On the play, freshman defenseman Michaela Fritz sent the puck from the blue line into the corner of the Cougars’ end. Forechecking forcefully, Neudorfer outfought a defender for the puck. She swept a pass out front to Ali who quickly fired the puck into the net at 3:57.
USM is now 6-1-1. The Wildcats play Beaver Dam in an Eastern Shores conference game at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 19th at USM.
