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Wildcats strong start, finish enough in 8-1 win

By Tom Geilfuss, USM Assistant Coach, 02/17/19, 2:45PM CST

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Newton, Roepke each tally five points in victory

As expected, the number one seed in Sectional 8, University School defeated the number nine seed, Waupun in a Regional Final of the WIAA boys hockey state tournament playoffs on Friday, February 15th.  The score was 8-1.

What was not expected was that the referees would make their presence known and mar the game.  A total of 24 penalties were called during the contest, including one five-minute major.  That amounted to the same number of penalty minutes, 51, as game time.  Some of the penalties were coincidental, so portions of the game were played with both teams at full strength, but the play of the game was interfered with nonetheless.

“It was a kind of chaotic win for us today,” said Jason Woods, USM’s head coach.  “At this point of the season, no complaints, just win.  It was not our best effort, but good enough.  I am confident we can and will play better as we move on.  Bottom line, we did enough, and we get another opportunity Tuesday.  I’m looking forward to it.”

The Wildcats dominated the play in the game. They fired 48 shots at Waupun’s net.  The Warriors’ starting goalie, Tyler Fromholz, who played in the first period, stopped 11 of those shots and let 4 get past him.  Kode Gerritson replaced Fromholz in the second period and stopped 29 of the 33 shots sent his way.  USM’s goaltender, Frank Fee, made 13 saves at the other end of the rink.

It did not take long for the Wildcats to assert their scoring ability. Robby Newton sent a breakout pass from the USM zone to Tyler Herzberg in center ice.  Herzberg split the Waupun defense and skated in on a breakaway. Fromholz stopped Herzberg, but the rebound kicked out to the slot. USM’s Ethan Mann, who was trailing the play, one-timed it in just 40 seconds into the game.

The Wildcats scored what would prove to be the game winner at 5:18 of the period on a beautiful give and go play.  Casey Roepke passed the puck to Reid Woods near the Warriors’ blue line and took off.  Woods passed it back as Roepke sped into the zone.  He turned toward the net and rifled a shot in.

WiPH Game Summaries

USM went ahead 3-0 thanks to a power play.  As the Wildcats worked the puck around the Waupun zone, it went to Herzberg near the left boards.  He skated out toward the blue line then curled into the slot.  Nearing the top of the circle he began to fall, so he pushed the puck to Newton in the right circle.  Newton received it like a Valentine’s Day card and swiftly fired it into the net at 8:31.

The Wildcats scored another power play goal in the final minute of the first period.  On the play, Roepke made a dash at the Waupun net and fired.  The rebound came out to Newton who was speeding down the slot.  He immediately gunned it past Fromholz at 16:30.

Waupun scored the only goal in the second period, since the nine penalties called in the period meant most of the time the teams were playing short-handed.  During a time when the teams were skating at full strength.  Owen Harmsen went after a loose puck in the left corner of the USM zone.  He backhanded it out to Malachi Buchholz in the lower left circle and Buchholz one-timed a low shot that squeezed between the near goal post and the pads of Frank Fee, USM’s goaltender at 7:06.

USM scored another special team play goal 2:01 int the third period.  This one was a short-handed goal.  Roepke got the puck in the USM zone and iced it.  Blake Carey raced after it.  He picked up the puck in the corner, swept behind the net then circled out into the slot and took a shot that zipped past Gerritson.

The Wildcats made it 6-1 about five minutes later.  From the Waupun blue line, defenseman Jacob Como passed the puck to TJ Fenton in the right corner.  Fenton whipped it along the end boards to Sterling Cooke behind the net.  Cooke caught the pass, moved out into the slot, and fired the puck into the net at 8:34.

Seconds later the Wildcats scored again.  From the center ice faceoff they dumped the puck into the Waupun zone and forechecked. Newton got the puck in the right corner and skated behind the net.  He centered the puck to Mann who one-timed it.  Gerritson stopped that shot, but couldn’t recover to stop Herzberg’s shot from the rebound that occurred at 8:48.

The goal put the clock on running time.  The Wildcats did have time to score one more power play goal.  Newton completed his hat trick and Herzberg had another assist at 10:38.

The win gave USM a 23-2 record.  The Wildcats advance in the playoffs to take on the West Bend Ice Bears in a Sectional 8 semi-final game at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 19th at USM.