Megan McPike scored a hat trick to lead the University School co-op girls’ hockey team to a 6-2 victory over the Brookfield Glacier in the semi-finals of the annual Culver’s Cup Tournament in Madison on Thursday, December 28th at Hartmeyer Ice Arena in Madison.

McPike was presented with the Player of the Game award after her performance.  She said, “It always feels good to win, but to score a hat trick felt really good. It was nice to rise up and help my team with an important win. Being Player of the Game felt very good as well. Many girls had really good games, so to be named Player of the Game felt nice. I hope our team is able to play another game tomorrow like we did today.”

The Wildcats outshot the Glacier 10-5 in the first period.  But the Glacier scored the game’s first goal late in the frame.  Zoe Sternberg stopped a Wildcat clearing attempt near the USM line.  The puck hit off her pads and bounced to Hadley Malcomson at the bottom of the left circle.  Malcomson quickly fired a shot high into the net over the shoulder of the Wildcats’ goaltender, Juliana Strother, at 15:34.

The Wildcats quickly responded.  Given a power play opportunity seconds after the Glacier goal, they went into action.  After the Glacier iced the puck, Michaela Fritz took it behind the Wildcats’ net then passed it to McPike on the right boards.  McPike sailed away like a destroyer on a mission.  She flew past several defenders and entered the Glacier zone on a breakaway.  She deked Kristin Peacock, the Glacier goalie, then lofted a shot into the net to tie the game with just 44 seconds left in the first period.

McPike put the Wildcats ahead for good with another goal at 3:56 of the second period. In center ice, she chipped the puck off the right boards and raced past a Brookfield defender to get it.  She skated in on another breakaway and whipped a shot past Peacock to make the score 2-1.

The Wildcats made it 3-1 midway through the second period.  As they forechecked in the Glacier zone, the puck went to Karly Lamoreaux in the right circle.  She fired a shot off Peacock’s pads.  The rebound bounced below the goal line to the right of the net.  Jordan Bonk snagged it and wired a pass to Hannah Neudorfer in the low slot.  Neudorfer one-timed a shot past Peacock at 9:50.

USM’s lead increased a few minutes into the third period.  Backchecking, Abby Hentzen got the puck near the USM goal line and flipped a pass to Lexie Epperson on the right boards.  Epperson began to skate out of the zone, but was stopped by a pinching defenseman.  Epperson pushed the back to Hannah Gold who skated out of the USM zone and around Glaciers floating in center ice.  Gold headed into the Brookfield zone on the right side.  She maneuvered around another opponent and headed toward the corner.  She veered out and fired a shot past Peacock at 6:50.

Brookfield cut the Wildcats’ lead to just two seconds later.  Malcomson got the puck deep in the Brookfield end and skated it out along the left boards.  In center ice she flipped the puck past a defender and dashed around her.  She then skated deep in the USM zone, wheeled toward the net and as she went past Strother she popped the puck into the goal at 7:02.

The score stayed tight at 4-2 until the final minute.  With 1:08 left on the clock, Epperson gained control of the puck in the right corner of the Brookfield zone.  She skated out along the boards then curled along the blue line and fired a shot from the high slot.  The rebound caromed to the right corner where McPike corralled it.  She skated toward the net and whipped a shot into the far corner of the goal to give the Wildcats a 5-2 lead.

Lamoreaux made it 6-2 at 16:43 when she took a pass from Hentzen at the Brookfield blue line.  Lamoreaux weaved around several Brookfield players as she headed toward the Glacier goal. She cut to the net and pushed the puck into the goal to secure the Wildcats’ victory. Michaela Fritz also had an assist on the play.

The Wildcats take their 9-2 record into the championship game of the Culver’s Cup Tournament at the Madison Ice Arena in Madison.  They will faceoff against the Wisconsin Valley Union 2:45 p.m. on Friday, December 29th.