Goal in Second Overtime Ousts Wildcats from Playoffs

With 40.1 seconds left in the second overtime period, Morgan Hollowell one-timed a shot off pass by Arianna Smith during a two-on-two rush to give the Kettle Moraine co-op girls hockey team a 3-2 victory over the University School co-op in the WIAA state tournament Sectional 4 semi-final Tuesday at the Ponds of Brookfield.

Referee Jim Palmer, who was working his last game of a long and storied career, said, "This is quite a game to go out on."

It was clear that neither team wanted to go out on the game either. It was an exciting, tense game throughout the 51 minutes of regulation time and 15:20 minutes of overtime.  The pace was fast, and there was plenty of action at each end of the ice.  Both goalies, Heidi Golembiewski for USM and Jenna Bales for Kettle Moraine, played well, and the shot totals were close: 37-33 in favor of the Glacier.  Each team also killed three penalties, but USM opened the scoring with a power play goal.

It came at 11:11 of the first period. The Wildcats got the puck into the Glacier's zone and began to methodically move it around.  Positioned in the left circle, Megan Bailey received a pass from Laine Tomesch, drew a checker toward her, and then sent the puck back to Tomesch at the point.  Tomesch blasted a shot through a screen that beat Bales cleanly.

Kettle Moraine tied it less than three minutes later. In the USM zone, defenseman Emma Ray stopped a USM pass at the blue line.  She gunned the puck toward the net. During the ensuing scramble for the rebound in the crease, Jamie Ertl jammed it in at 13:57.

USM went back ahead in the second period.  Forechecking near the side of the Kettle Moraine net, Tomesch stripped the puck from a defender.  She quickly turned and fired the puck through a gap between Bales and the near post at 9:30.

KM’s second goal of the game tied it at 8:32 of the third period. Alexis Aghijan took a pass from Smith, skated across the USM blue line and quickly shot the puck.  It hit Golembiewski, dropped to the ice, and slid across the goal line.

The Wildcats had several good chances to win the game, including a power play late in the third period during which they took several good shots, including one that clanged off the post.  The Wildcats also out shot KM 5-2 in the first overtime, but just could not get the puck past Bales.  The shots were even in the second overtime, but it was Ertl's final one that the Glacier the hard-earned victory.

In the game Golembiewski made 34 saves and Bales made 31 saves. 

The win put Kettle Moraine's record at 19-6 and catapulted the Glacier into Friday's sectional final against the Green Bay Area co-op. USM ended its season with a fine 16-8-2 record.