University School came from behind to defeat the Catholic Memorial/Pius XI Co-op team 3-1 Friday night at USM.

The game was a clean but close-checking battle, and it wasn’t until late in the first period that Catholic Memorial/Pius scored the game’s first goal.  Forechecking in the USM end, Catholic Memorial/Pius senior Kieran Gilbert knocked the puck down the left boards to senior Anthony Soo Hoo.  Soo Hoo out-battled two USM checkers in the corner, gained firm control of the puck, turned and lined a pass to senior Kyle Fink, who was unguarded in the near circle.  Fink immediately blasted a shot past USM’s senior goaltender Ben Myers at 14:51.

USM tied the game early in the second period while on a power play.  USM had the puck in the Crusaders’ end and was moving around the perimeter.  As USM began to change lines, junior Kenny Servis got the puck and sent it to senior Aaron Storch on the left side.  Storch spotted senior Ian Palin entering at the blue line on the far side and passed the puck across to him.  Palin skated in from the point, and like he’d practiced it before, Palin scorched a low slap shot straight between the legs of Catholic Memorial/Pius’s sophomore goalie Chris Nelson at 1:37.

The score stayed even for the remainder of the period, as did the play on the ice.  The shots in the period indicated how close the game was; each team had 8 shots.

As a team, the Wildcats checked the Crusaders fiercely throughout the second and third period. Their tough play eventually wore Catholic Memorial/Pius’s players down.  USM consequently capitalized at 11:12 of the third period.  Aaron Storch skated the puck out of the USM zone and zipped a pass to junior Corey Roadhouse who was cutting across central ice like a knife through pumpkin pie.  Roadhouse turned and rushed down the right boards into the Crusaders’ end.  As he neared the low circle he crossed a pass to senior Simon Leahy who had raced into the low slot.  Leahy one-timed his shot past Nelson to give USM its first lead.

USM sealed the victory at 13:19.  Forechecking in the Catholic Memorial/Pius left corner, Palin gained pulled the puck away from a Crusader defenseman and passed it out to Servis in the high slot.  Servis gunned a wrist shot up where you hide your stash of hard-earned dollars. Nelson never had a chance.

In the game Nelson had 19 saves and Myers had 15.

Catholic Memorial/Pius is now 10-5.  With the victory, USM improved its record to 6-5-2. The Wildcats’ next test is on Saturday, January 8th when they travel to Green Bay to play highly ranked Green Bay Notre Dame.  The opening face-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Cornerstone Community Center in De Pere.