The Fox Cities Stars scored three power play goals, two in the third period and one in overtime, to rally and defeat the University School co-op 6-5 in a thrilling girls’ hockey game on Friday, January 18th at the Tri-County Ice Arena in Neenah.
Junior Maddy Jablonski scored the game–winning goal 2:47 into the eight-minute overtime period to give the Stars the come-from behind win.
The Eastern Shores Conference game had all the up-and-down tension, excitement, and disappointment that one would expect when two of the teams ranked in the state’s top ten play. The Stars outshot the Wildcats 37-23, but only outscored them by the one overtime goal.
The Wildcats started the game’s scoring midway through the first period. Sophomore Jordan Bonk intercepted a Fox Cities’ pass in center ice and raced into the Stars’ end. A defenseman knocked the puck from Bonk’s stick. It bounced to the right circle where senior Kinzie Youngblood got it, turned, and passed it toward the point to Jenna Klenz, who was rushing into the zone. Klenz one-timed a slap shot past Fox Cities’ starting goalie, junior Hattie Berndt, at 8:05.
The Stars tied the game a few minutes later. Taking a faceoff in the right circle in the Wildcats’ zone, freshman Izzy Murphy drew the puck back to junior Hannah Hiltunen at the point. Hiltunen fired a shot toward the far post. Junior Riley Maulick tipped it past USM’s freshman goaltender, Sami Stommel at 14:15.
The Wildcats re-took the lead by scoring two goals in less than a minute early in the second period. Klenz gained control of a loose puck in center ice and fired a pass off the right boards to Bonk who snared the puck and skated into the Stars’ end. Bonk passed it to the left to Youngblood. Skating toward the net, Youngblood dipped her shoulder to curl around a defenseman. As she moved into the low slot, Youngblood tripped, but she pushed the shot between Berndt’s legs at 4:44.
The Wildcats made the score 3-1 at 5:02. Natalie Epperson got the puck in the USM end and chipped it ahead to senior Hannah Neudorfer as Neudorfer skated out of the zone. Neudorfer sped down the left boards. As she entered the circle area, she passed the puck to her younger sister, sophomore Zoe Neudorfer, who was hustling into the slot. Zoe Neudorfer one-timed a wrist shot past Berndt for the goal.
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Jablonski scored her first goal of the game at 14:11 of the second period to move the Stars closer. Senior defenseman Tori Nelson send a long diagonal pass from the right corner of the Stars’ zone to Jablonski who was heading along the left boards in center ice. Jablonski skated into the Wildcats end. Using a defenseman as a screen, she rifled a shot into the far upper corner of the Wildcats’ net to make the score 3-2.
With less than a minute left in the second period, the Wildcats had a five-on-three power play. They made the most of the advantage. As they worked the puck round the Stars’ zone, it went to Klenz at the point. She moved it to senior Gaby Turer as Turer buzzed down the slot. Turer fired a high shot that hit off the backboards and bounded to senior Lexie Epperson in the right corner. Epperson passed it back to Klenz at the point. Klenz skated toward the net and sizzled a shot over Berndt’s glove at 16:52.
The Wildcats had played well during the second period and established a two-goal lead over the number one team in the state. But circumstances changed for them in the third period, starting with the period’s opening faceoff.
Off the draw, the puck went to senior defenseman Megan Treml who skated with it along the right boards in the Wildcats’ zone. As she circled around the corner, she centered a pass to junior Annika Horman who was racing into the slot. Horman quickly lined a shot past Stommel to make the score 4-3 at 0:09 of the third period.
Senior Michaela Fritz, one of USM’s captains, said, “The game was in our favor and they came out hard the third period, which threw us for a spin. We had some unlucky calls but continued to battle through.”
The calls she referred to were penalties that gave the Stars added advantages. The Wildcats were assessed with a major penalty halfway through the period. With control of the puck in the Wildcats zone, the Stars passed it around looking for an opportunity to shoot. It came when Treml passed the puck to Horman at the center of the blue line. Horman skated in and whipped a shot into the net a 9:56.
The Stars still had 3:34 left on the major penalty. The Wildcats gave them further help with another penalty, allowing the Stars to skate five players to the Wildcats’ three. Again, the Stars moved the puck in the Wildcats’ end. It went to senior Lauren Fine at the center point. She passed it to Jablonski in the right circle. Jablonski sent a cross ice pass through a seam to senior Lauryn Hull. Hull one timed a shot past Stommel to give the Stars a 5-4 lead at 12:12.
There was still time for the Wildcats, and they had already proven to themselves that they could score. Now they had to. With 1:33 left in the game, the Wildcats pulled Stommel for an extra skater. They had the puck in the Stars end. Bonk got it near the blue line and backhanded a pass to Youngblood in the left circle. She saw Turer skating in the slot. Youngblood put the puck onto Turer’s stick. Turer’s subsequent shot flew in past junior goalie Annalise Mauel, who had replaced Berndt at the start of the period.
Turer’s goal tied the game at 5-5 at 15:47. It also sent the game into overtime.
2:25 into the extra period, the Wildcats received another penalty; consequently, the Stars received another power play. The power play was just what they needed to keep them at number one in the state.
Jablonski got the puck on the right mid-boards and skated it into the near corner. She passed the puck out to Horman in the right circle, and Horman took a quick shot. The puck hit Stommel’s pads and bounced to the left. Hull dove at it and pushed the back into Stommel who was sliding across. Jablonski had continued around the net. She shoved the next rebound inside the post for the game-winner at 2:47 of the OT.
Dan Carey, USM’s head coach, commented on the disappointing loss, “Our girls competed tonight. We had our chance to win, but we made some costly mistakes. I hope the girls realize that they can play with anyone. We have a big weekend coming up, and we will need to play at this level.”
Fox Cities is now 16-2 and 4-1 in the eastern Shores Conference. The Stars play Onalaska in a non-conference clash at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 19th at the Omni Center in Onalaska.
USM is 12-6 and 5-2 in the Eastern Shores Conference. The Wildcats play the St. Croix Valley Fusion in a non-conference game at 7:30 p.m. on Friday January 25th at the Baldwin United Civic Center in Hudson.
