It was the annual Coaches Against Cancer boys’ hockey game between Homestead and University School on Saturday, February 2nd at USM.  Each year the two teams battle in a game in honor of the coaches who have fought battles cancer and survived: Tony Navarre, who is the head coach of Homestead, and two former coaches of USM, Cal Roadhouse and Yves Preston.

USM’s present head coach, Jason Woods, said, “It’s a great event, as always.  USM and Homestead are proud of what our teams do to play a role in trying to beat cancer.  That’s the focus of the day.”

When an individual faces cancer, it seems like a one-sided battle. On the ice Saturday, the game was extremely one-sided as well.  The Wildcats jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first period and never let up, winning the non-conference game, 10-1.

Woods added: “As for the game itself, we had just a resounding response to the adversity of losing last week.  Our focus was sharp, and our energy was high.  We blitzed Homestead early and often, and I am proud of the game we played: great team hockey.”

Robby Newton led the Wildcats’ scoring with five goals. His line mates Tyler Herzberg and Ethan Mann had two goals and one goal respectively.  Blake Carey and Reid Woods completed the scoring for USM.  Pierce Stastney scored Homestead’s lone goal.

In the net, Frank Fee of USM turned aside 15 shots, while Homestead’s Chase Kolega stopped 27 of the shots the Wildcats fired at him.

Herzberg opened the scoring just 1:51 into the game on a pass from Mann, and the rout was on.

Newton scored the next four goals for USM. One at 4:23 off passes from Herzberg and Mann.  The trio combined for Newton’s next goal at 6:13. At 9:15, Newton gained his natural hat trick with Mann and Casey Roepke assisting.  Newton scored the Wildcats’ fifth goal while the team was short-handed.  Carey had an assist on the goal at 16:41.