Wildcats Storm Past Fond du Lac

Thunder and lightning are rare in December. Thursday night, however, the co-op girls’ ice hockey team’s five-second period goals hit the Fond du Lac co-op team like unexpected lightning. The Wildcats thundered past the Warbirds on their way to a 7-0 victory in an Eastern Shores Conference game at USM.

The first period was relatively even, but as it wore on it became apparent that the Wildcats’ efforts were building like storm clouds on the horizon toward their eventual outburst. The defensemen for USM, seniors Margot Peterson, Billie Fritz, Rebecca Hart, and Jessica Gold, and juniors Meredith Behm and Abby Leitschuh kept tight on the Warbirds, forcing the Fond du Lac forwards to take perimeter shots that USM’s sophomore goalkeeper Heidi Golembiewski handled with ease.

Meanwhile USM’s forwards were firing shots from all angles at the Warbirds’ sophomore goalie Jane Van Buren. One of USM’s shots finally went past Van Buren late in the first period. Senior Megan Bailey collected the puck along the left boards in the USM zone. She chipped it up the boards into center ice. Freshman Nina Andersen got it and bolted off on a breakaway. Andersen burst into the Warbirds’ end and headed toward the net. As she neared the crease, she started to fall, but her plunge was so powerful that she popped the puck past Van Buren to give USM a 1-0 lead at 15:22.

The goal gave USM momentum, and the Wildcats added to their lead in the first minute of the second period. Junior Lane Tomesch picked off a Warbirds’ breakout pass in the Fond du Lac left circle. She lined a pass to sophomore Abby Wigdale at the far post. Wigdale fired it. The rebound fell off Van Buren’s pads to the stick of Ellie Wigdale, Abby’s cousin. Ellie Wigdale darted a shot into the net just 43 seconds into the period.

USM went ahead 3-0 just under five minutes later. Gold began skating out of USM’s zone with the puck and passed it to Bailey who was cutting into the middle of center ice. Bailey split the defense and raced into the Fond du Lac zone on a breakaway. As she moved in, she decked Van Buren, and then shoved the puck past the falling goalie at 5:30.

USM’s next goal came on a power play. As the Wildcats were moving the puck around the Warbirds’ zone, freshman Rose Revolinski passed it to Bailey on the right mid-boards. Bailey sent a pass across the seam toward the far goalpost.  Andersen dove to get it, and the force of her endeavor swept the puck into the net at 8:44.

The Wildcats were far from satiated, and they scored again just 15 seconds later.  Taking the center ice face off, Ellie Wigdale drew the puck to Abby Wigdale who skated with it into the right corner. She passed it into the left circle to Ellie Wigdale, who immediately sent it across the slot to Tomesch. Tomesch blazed a shot past Van Buren to give USM a five-goal lead.

USM tallied another goal late in the second period. Ellie Wigdale skated into the Warbirds’ right corner with the puck and threw it out front to Tomesch, who shot it. The rebound went to the left post. Abby Wigdale wheeled out from behind the net, tapped it, and then reached for her own rebound and slid the puck in at 15:19.

The Wildats’ six-goal lead put the clock on running time in the third period. USM scored its final goal late in the period. Forechecking in the Warbirds’ right corner, Tomesch took the puck from a defender, tuned, and passed it to Ellie Wigdale in the slot. Wigdale shot it. Abby Wigdale rushed in front of the net and jammed the rebound in at 13:03.

In the game Van Buren stopped 31 of the 38 shots the Wildcats put on her.  Golembiewski made 20 saves in recording the shut out.

Fond du Lac is now 5-4-2 and 3-2-1 in the conference. USM is 7-2 overall and 4-0 atop the conference. The Wildcats head to Minnesota to take part in the prestigious Schwann Cup Tournament next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.