University School withstood a last minute surge by Fond du Lac St. Mary’s
Springs Academy to win 4-3 at USM Tuesday night.

USM took early command of the game.  The Wildcats out shot the Ledgers
12-6 and scored the game’s first two goals in the first period.  The first
USM goal came at 7:30.  The Wildcats were cycling the puck in the St.
Mary’s Springs’ zone.  Freshman Ryan Mezera sent the puck to his classmate
Vadim Sukhanov on the right boards.  Sukhanov angled it off the boards to
sophomore defenseman Joey Judge at the point.  Judge blasted a quick slap
shot that flew past St. Mary’s Springs’ senior goalie Parker Deanovich.

USM’ second goal came late in the period.  Off a face-off in the USM end,
senior center iceman Aaron Storch drew the puck to junior defenseman
Ashton Wackym.  Wackym sent a breakout pass to junior Corey Roadhouse on
the right boards.  Roadhouse pushed the puck past the Springs’ defenseman
at the point, rushed past him, and headed down the boards.  As he neared
the mid-boards in the Ledgers’ end, Roadhouse unleashed a low shot that
zoomed into the St. Mary’s Springs’ net just inside the far post at 14:56.

The Ledgers played better in the second period, but USM’s senior
goaltender Ben Myers stopped all 10 shots they put on him and covered the
rebounds, preventing St. Mary’s Springs from getting second chances.
Meanwhile, USM kept up its attack, pouring 11 shots on Deanovich.  One
made it past him.

Breaking out of the USM zone, senior Simon Leahy winged a pass to
Roadhouse as Roadhouse entered center ice along the left boards.
Roadhouse skated the puck deep into the Ledgers’ end and spotted Storch
racing to the net.  Roadhouse lined  a pass to the crease, and like he was
hanging sheets on a laundry line, Storch lifted the oncoming puck up under
the cross bar to make it 3-0 at 12:52.

The score stayed at 3-0 until the last four minutes of the third when
things got frantic and four goals were scored. St. Mary’s Springs got the
first of them in the last second of a power play. The Ledgers had the puck
under control in the USM end and senior Jacob Schultz moved the puck to
senior Eric Steffes at the point.  Steffes passed it along the blue line
to junior Tyler Grebe.  Grebe rifled a shot through a screen that got past
Myers at 13:23.

Just over two minutes later USM added its fourth goal to the scoreboard.
Storch stole the puck from a Springs’ defenseman in the Ledgers’ zone.  He
skated from the left toward the right, turned, and relayed the puck to
Leahy in the low left circle.  Leahy promptly projected the puck past
Deanovich at 15:24.

It seemed as though USM had sewn up a victory, but St. Mary’s Springs
didn’t think so.  It scored two goals in 7 seconds during the game’s last
minute to leave the decision in doubt until the very end.

The first came off a face-off in the USM end.  Sophomore Matt Austin took
the draw and pushed the puck forward. Sophomore Sean Ahern stepped to it
and past it back to senior J.P. Voight who was cutting across the top of
the circle from the boards on a set play.  Voight collected the puck and
wired a wrist shot past Myers at 16:27.

On the ensuing center ice face-off, Schultz tipped the puck forward to
senior Brendan Ahern who was moving toward the USM end on the right side.
Ahern skated the puck into the USM end and centered it to Steffes who was
rushing toward the net.  Steffes got the puck, swooped past Myers and
tucked the puck behind the sprawling goalie at 16:34.

Springs was finally back in the game.  But with only 26 second left in the
game, the Ledgers did not have enough time to score any more.  The victory
went to USM.

In the game Deanovich made 33 saves and Myers made 23.

St. Mary’s Springs is now 9-3.  USM improved its record to 8-5-2 with the
victory.  The Wildcats host Arrowhead Saturday at 7:00 p.m.