In a Sectional 8 Regional Final game in the state tournament playoffs, the Number 1 seed, University School defeated the Number 9 seed, Germantown Co-op, 7-2 Friday night at USM.

The Wildcats out shot Germantown 48-20 during the game. The first of those shots to make it past Germantown’s senior goalie Trevor Collins came at 6:33 of the first period. In the Germantown end, USM senior Aaron Storch sent a pass into the high slot to his classmate Ian Palin. Palin fired a shot on net. The rebound popped to USM senior Simon Leahy who immediately put it back at Collins. A second rebound bounced to the left side of the net. Leahy stepped to it and gunned the puck high into the far side of the net to make it 1-0.

Leahy also scored USM’s second goal. Germantown had a power play and was passing the puck around the USM zone. Leahy intercepted a pass to a Germantown defenseman at the blue line and darted down the ice on a breakaway. Nearing Collins, Leahy made a move to Collins’ left, then pulled the puck to right and slid it into the net like he was spreading syrup across a pancake at 9:30 of the first period.

Germantown made the game close just 28 seconds into the second period. From deep in the USM zone, Germantown senior Austin Haga passed the puck to junior Damon Nick. Nick sent the puck to sophomore Tyler Acheson at the point, Acheson’s shot hit USM’s senior goaltender Ben Myers and bounced past him into the net.

The goal raised Germantown’s hopes, but the Wildcats dashed those hopes by scoring four unanswered goals in the remainder of the second period. The first of these USM goals, which proved to be the game winner, came at 5:32. Forechecking in the Germantown’s right corner, junior Kenny Servis gained control of the puck, moved to the bottom of the near circle and lashed a shot at Collins. The rebound popped out to freshman Vadim Sukhanov who smoothly smashed it past Collins.

The Wildcats made it 4-1 just seconds later. At the Germantown blue line, USM senior defenseman Nick Hermberg stopped a Germantown clearing attempt. Hermberg clotheslined a low slapshot toward the net. Leahy was in front, and he tipped the puck into the net for his hat trick at 5:49.

USM scored again less than two minutes later. In the Germantown corner, freshman Ryan Mezera cycled the puck to Sukhanov. Sukhanov passed it out to senior forward Andrew Stewart near the blue line. Stewart stepped in and ripped a shot toward the net. Mezera, who had cruised in front of the net like a battleship returning to its proper mooring, tipped the puck into the net at 7:24.

USM made it 6-1 late in the period. Servis fought for the puck along the left mid-boards in the Germantown end, won the battle, and passed the puck to sophomore defenseman Joey Judge at the point. Judge blazed a low shot toward the net. It hit Collins and rebounded right to Sukhanov, who was waiting on the doorstep like the Sunday paper. Sukhanov knocked it in at 14:24.

USM scored its final goal while on a power play. The Wildcats moved the puck around the Germantown end. Storch got it along the right boards and passed it to Leahy at the blue line. Leahy skated to the center of the line and then fired a shot. Parked in front of the net like a delivery truck, Palin tipped it past Collins to make it 7-1 at 6:30 of the third period.

Germantown scored the game’s final goal on a power play when senior Dylan Krivoshein tipped in a point shot by senior defenseman Joe Sanicola at 8:50.

In the game Collins made 41 saves and Myers made 18 saves.

The loss ended Germantown’s season and gave it a final record of 7-17. USM improved its record to 14-8-3. The Wildcats advance to the Sectional 8 semi-final game against Cedarburg at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 22nd at USM.