USM 4 vs Fond du Lac 5 (OT)

 In another outstanding high school hockey game in the longstanding rivalry between two of the Wisconsin’s top ranked teams, Fond du Lac defeated the visiting University School Wildcats 5-4 in overtime Tuesday night.

    Fond du Lac took an early lead on a power play.  Working the puck around the USM zone, senior defenseman Brain Kemp sent it down low to his classmate Brent Martin.  Martin passed it to Tucker Reimer in the low left circle, and Reimer fired it through a screen at 4:59 of the first period.

 Fond du Lac made it 2-0 in the middle of the second period. Kemp got control of a loose the puck in the Fond du Lac end and skated it out.  He avoided the reaching sticks of three USM checkers as he roared through center ice. Once he crossed the USM blue line, he unleashed a rocket that flew past USM’s junior goaltender Alex Langer into the upper corner of the net at 11:15.

 Fond du Lac went ahead by three a few minutes later while on a power play.  Reimer sent a pass along the USM blue line to Kemp who winged a quick pass across the slot to the far circle to junior Joe Blagoue.  Blagfoue blazed a low shot inside the near post at 14:19 of the second.

     At that point things look bleak for USM, but instead of crawling away to lick their wounds, the Wildcats decided to sharpen their claws and strike back. 

     USM got its first goal of the night while on a four-minute power play.  As the Wildcats moved the puck around the Fond du Lac zone, junior Simon Leahy got it at the mid-boards.  He passed it to the near point to senior Charlie Wigdale.  Wigdale walked it to the center of the blue line where he uncorked a nasty low shot that made it through a crowd in front of the net at 16:06 of the second.

     USM made closed the gap further in the first minute of the third while still on the power play.  In the Fond du Lac zone, USM’s senior captain Alex Tesensky pick pocketed a Fond du Lac defender along the boards and immediately sent the purloined puck to junior Aaron Storch in the high slot.  Storch one-timed a low shot past Fond du Lac’s junior goalie Joe Rebedew at 0:48.

     USM then tied it at 4:57.  USM’s junior defenseman Ian Palin got the puck at the point and fired it netward.  Storch tipped it. Rebedew saved it.  But Tesensky was waiting like a cat at a mouse hole. He swatted it in.

     The momentum had swung USM’s way, but things that swing swing back.  Once again it was Fondy’s turn.  Senior Ben Jones Jones sent a pass to sophomore Shane Sable, who skated across the USM blue line and pulled to a stop.  He lined pass to Martin who had raced down the far side into the circle.  Martin gunned a shot between Langer’s legs at 8:20.

    As the clock wore down, USM kept trying for another comeback but Fond du Lac thwarted their attempts.  Finally, at 15:51, USM coach Cal Roadhouse called a time out and pulled Langer for an extra skater.  After the ensuing face-off, Storch got the puck in center ice and skated into the Fond du Lac zone on the right side. He stopped at the top of the circle, then headed toward the near corner. At the bottom of the circle he swung toward the net and spotted Tesensky cruising in toward the back door.  At 15:38 Storch lined a pass, and Tesensky one-timed it inside the post just out of the reach of the diving Rebedew to tie the score.

     Suddenly it was overtime.  Both teams made forays in the overtime, but Fond du Lac made the one that counted.  Along the right boards in center ice, Blagoue intercepted a pass and took off on a 2 on 1.  As he reached the top of the right circle he blazed a shot into the left upper corner to give the Cardinals the 5-4 win.

     In the game Rebedew made 36 saves and Langer made 24. 

     Fond du lac is now 1-0.  The Cardinals travel to Madison to play Madison Edgewood, another ranked team at 5:30 on Saturday.  USM takes its 0-1 record to Minneapolis to play Blake School in the first round of the Bob Nelson Tournament at Blake School at 7:30 on Friday.