It was an important game.

It’s always an important game when the University school co-op girls’ hockey team plays the Bay Area Ice Bears co-op. At stake was first place in the Eastern Shores Conference.  Just as importantly, two of the state’s top teams continued their arch-rivalry, a rivalry that has been growing in intensity for the last several years and is not likely to abate.  In the latest encounter Friday at USM, the Wildcats defeated the Ice Bears 4-1.

The game between the Ice Bears, the 2014 state champion, and the Wildcats, the 2015 state champion, had championship caliber play.  It was close.  The official save totals were nearly identical.  Sophomore Ana Holzbach of Bay Area stopped 21 shots, while the Wildcats’ freshman goaltender, Marie Detert, made 20 saves.  Freshman Kalli Mikesch scored Bay Area’s goal.  Junior Nicole Unsworth scored two goals for the Wildcats while freshman Hannah Neudorfer and senior Hannah Koniar each tallied one.

“Our focus has been on Green Bay all week, and, really, all season,” said Jake Haury, USM’s coach.  “I know that they have been focusing on us as well. That’s the way it is going to be when two really good teams are in the same conference and the same sectional.  It adds to the fun of playing hockey. It was a tough game and a good hockey game.  I thought both teams played well.  Our girls stuck to our game plan.  Marie played really well in goal.  Our defense did a good job supporting her, and we were able to score the goals we needed to win. Our bench was behind the players on the ice all the way.  It was a good team win.  Bay Area has a good power play, and we were able to kill off all six penalties we took, including one five-on-three.”

Looking ahead, Haury added, “We need to stick together and focus as a team the rest of the year.  That’s our goal.  We have some good teams still to play in the regular season, and we are likely to see Bay Area again.  We need to be ready.”

The Ice Bears took the first lead in the contest midway through the first period.  On a breakout out play from the Bay Area zone, junior defenseman Morgan Zirbel got the puck and circled behind the net.  She passed it to junior Allie Hartter on the right boards and continued skating.  Hartter send a soft backhander to Zirbel as Zirbel skated by.  Zirbel sped into the Wildcats’ zone, cut in on Detert and tried to jam the puck past the goaltender.  The rebound popped out front to Mikesch who fired a backhander into the net at 7:59.

The Wildcats tied the score on a shorthanded goal in the opening minute of the second period.  Sophomore defenseman Hannah Gold stepped in front of shot, blocking it.  Gold fired the puck off the glass to clear it.  Unsworth caught the bounce along the right boards and skated toward the Bay Area end.  As she enter the zone, she burst like paint from spray can between two defenders, moved in Holzbach and crammed the puck through the five hole at 0:29.

The Wildcats took the lead at 12:52 of the second period while on a power play.  Junior Rachel Hoge sent a pass to Neudorfer who was speeding out of the USM zone.  Freshman Claire Ali joined the rush.  Crossing the Bay Area blue line, Neudorfer slid the puck to Ali, who almost immediately returned the pass.  Neudorfer secured the puck then shot it past Holzbach for the goal.

It was still either team’s game to win as the third period opened.  The Wildcats made it easier for themselves with a goal early in the period while on a power play.  As the Wildcats moved the puck around the Bay Area zone, Koniar got the puck at the blue line.  She walked it to the left and passed it down the boards to Unsworth.  Unsworth started to skate into the circle. As she met resistance, she passed the puck to senior Caitlin McBride in the near corner.  Unsworth continued toward the net.  McBride executed a perfect give-and-go with a pass to Unsworth’s stick.  Unsworth executed her shot. The Wildcats led 3-1 at 3:53.

The Wildcats sealed the victory with a goal at 16:26.  Taking a face off in the Bay Area right corner, McBride drew the puck back to Koniar at the right point.  Koniar’s shot was bar down.

The senior defenseman explained,  “Caitlin made a nice play on the face off.  The puck came right back to me. Their player came out to block it, but I saw a clear lane for a shot.  I took it.  I didn’t see it go in, but I knew it was good.  It just felt good, and it feels good to win.”

As a result of the outcome, USM is 14-3-1 and 5-0-1 in the Eastern Shores Conference.  Bay Area is 13-5-1 and 5-2 in the conference. The Wildcats have little time to rest.  They play the Madison Metro Lynx in a non-conference game at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 23rd at USM.