Slightly less than a year ago, the Blackcats U14 team was riding high, almost winning a National championship. Their 2-0 loss to the Shoreline Sharks in the final game was a heartbreaker, but it showed the team that they had enough gusto to make it to the USA Hockey championships and compete.

That resolve was tested this weekend as the U16 Blackcats (by my count, all but one of this year's players competed on last year's U14 squad) fought a tough Highland Park (IL) Falcons squad, but fell short, dropping two games in a best-of-three series.

One day after a 3-0 loss to the Falcons, the 'Cats took a 1-0 lead late in the first period, but then saw their foes score four unanswered goals in a 4-1 defeat to their neighbors from the Land of Lincoln.

The Blackcats missed a chance on their first power play of the game, but succeeded with just under four minutes left in the stanza.

Early in the man advantage, Quinn Winkoski put a shot on net, but it was repelled by Falcons goalie Lauren Abraham. Taylor Wandschneider was able to locate the loose puck and send it past the goalie for a 1-0 lead for the 'Cats.

The period ended with the 1-0 lead, with the 'Cats holding a 12-2 shot edge.

In the second period, the Falcons took advantage of a 'cold' goalie and scored twice in less than a span of a minute in the middle of the period.

After Sydney Seeley came out in favor of Caitlyn Erickson, the Illinois team took advantage of a pair of odd-man rushes to take the lead.

The first was a 2-on-0 breakout that ended with Jordan Moore putting the puck in the net before Erickson was even loose. To add insult to injury, a turnover in the neutral zone 40 seconds later led to a 2-on-1, culminating with a score by Emma Piatigorsky to give the Falcons a lead they would not relinquish.

Shots were 11-6 in favor of the 'Cats in the period, but they trailed 2-1 after 34 minutes of play.

Seeley came back into the game for the 'Cats to start the third, but she was greeted rudely five minutes later when Moore got past the defense, make a deke, and slid the puck into the net for a 3-1 lead with just under 12 minutes left in the third.

(DISCLAIMER: If you are looking for statistical accuracy for the remainder of the game, you won't find it. A) I was chatting with Mr. Schumacher; B) There was no announcer; C) I did not check the scoresheet after the game. I apologize for that...)

The Falcons got an empty-netter with 2:38 left to account for the final score.