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Herzberg leads USM to 6-3 win over N/H/M

By Tom Geilfuss, USM Assistant Coach, 11/21/18, 8:45PM CST

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Wildcats storm back after 2-0 deficit

University School opened the 2018-2019 boys’ hockey season with a 6-3 come-from behind victory over Neenah/Hortonville/Menasha that thrilled the fans who filled the stands at USM to witness the non-conference game on Tuesday, November 20th.

“A great start to the season,” said Jason Woods, USM’s head coach.  “Neenah was as good as advertised, maybe better, and challenged us throughout.  Two things stood out to me.  First, it’s so much fun to be a USM hockey player.  Our crowd was electric, and we really fed off them.  Second, I can’t say enough about our secondary players tonight.  We have a lot of high-level players, but the Ells, the Woods, the Eghbali type players, if they play like tonight, we become really tough to beat.”

As Woods referenced, Peter Ells, Reid Woods, and Noah Eghbali and the rest of the USM squad hustled all night.  The Wildcats outshot the Rockets 28-20. Nevertheless, they let NHM score the first two goals of the young season before the Wildcats found their full mojo.

The Rockets’ Dillon Fox got the puck in center ice and skated it down the left boards deep into the USM zone.  He passed it to Drew Sutton, who was all alone in the near circle.  Sutton one-timed a shot past USM’s goaltender, Patrick Kelly, at 10:28.

The visitors took a two-goal lead later in the first period.  Fox out raced a defender for a loose puck near the USM blue line.  He then skated in, using his back to fend the defender away.  In the low slot, he flipped a backhander past Kelly at 12:10.

The Wildcats closed the scoring gap in the first minute of the second period.  From the center ice faceoff, USM shot the puck into the left corner of the Rockets’ end. Like he was performing a Heimlich with his forecheck, Ethan Mann made the defender cough up the puck.  It bounced to Tyler Herzberg in the near circle.  Herzberg skated it toward the crease and shot.  The puck hit the pads of Jake Mork, Neenah’s goalie, and popped out front.  Reid Woods raced to it and fired the rebound into the net at 0:12.

WiPH Game Summaries

USM used a power play to tie the score.  As Herzberg skated the puck into the Rockets’ zone, he sent a short drop pass to Mann.  A defenseman knocked the puck off Mann’s stick to Blake Carey near the blue line. arey skated the puck into the high slot and powered a shot past Mork for the goal at 11:20.

The Wildcats took their first lead later in the second period.  Clearing the puck from the USM end, Ethan Ford sent a long pass up ice across the Rockets’ line.  Mann raced to it, collected it and skated in on Mork.  He deked the goalie, but instead of shooting, he dropped a pass to Herzberg who was zooming down the slot.  Herzberg one-timed a shot into the net at 15:22.

The Rockets re-tied the score in the opening minute of the third period. As the Rockets forechecked, a loose puck went to Owen Engel in the high slot.  Engel took a shot toward the net.  The rebound popped out front to Erik Davidson who backed handed it at Kelly.  The puck caromed to the right near the post. Before it bounced to the corner, Ethan Long had time to sweep it into the USM net at 0:28.

Even though the Rockets had tied the score at 3-3, the Wildcats were not to be denied and they quickly resumed the momentum they had in the previous period.  They beat the Rockets to many loose pucks, got the puck into the Neenah zone quickly, and forechecked relentlessly. Eventually their efforts paid off.

After defenseman Casey Roepke body checked an attacker off the puck during a 2-on-1 play near the USM blue line, Mann got the puck behind the net and skated it toward the right boards.  He spotted Herzberg speeding through center ice on the far boards and lined a pass to him. Herzberg skated in on a brief breakaway, deked Mork, and scored what proved to be the winning goal at 7:54.

More aggressive forechecking led to the Wildcats’ fifth goal at 5:56. Along the left side boards, Herzberg edged a defender off the puck.  It popped to Newton who skated it behind the net.  He saw Mann moving in from the blue line and fed him a pass.  Mann waited then shot.  Mork made the save, but Newton, who had swung out front, knocked the rebound into the net.

Mann scored the game’s final goal at 3:50. Like he was pulling a leg off a roasted turkey, he snared the puck from a defender’s stick in a crowd inside the Rockets’ right circle.  Mann skated down the side.  As he approached the end line, he fired a pass toward the crease.  The puck hit a defender’s foot and careened back to him as he followed his play.  He swiftly knocked the puck into the net.

After the game, Carey, who is one of USM’s captains, reflected on the win, “Gutsy effort by our guys today. We got down early but nobody felt defeated. We faced adversity head on and battled as a team. A shout out to some of the younger guys that stepped up for us as well. Great team win from the boys.”

NHM is now 0-1.  The Rockets take on Waupun in a Badgerland Conference game at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 27th at the Tri-County Arena in Neenah.

USM is 1-0.  The Wildcats play Waunakee on Friday, November 23rd in the opening round of the annual Paul Meyer Memorial Tournament at USM.  The non-conference clash is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.