GERMANTOWN Co-op 1 vs USM 6

University School beat the visiting Germantown Co-op team by a score of 6-1 Tuesday night.

Playing sound defense and outshooting the Ice Bears 12-5, the Wildcats took command of the game in the first period.  They scored the game’s first goal at 13:02.  Alex Tesensky gained control of the puck at center ice, and like a stallion leading a stampede, he skated into the Germantown zone.  As he cut through the right circle, he put his shoulder down and rounded the Germantown defender, then bulleted the puck through the five hole of Germantown’s starting goalie Trevor Collins.

USM kept up the attack and added another just over a minute later.  The goal came on a power play that was executed as designed.  From the point Tesensky sent the puck to Aaron Storch on the left mid-boards in the Germantown end.  Storch lined a pass across the slot to Simon Leahy who one-timed a slap shot past Collins who was screened by USM’s Charlie James at 14:09.

The Wildcats went ahead 3-0 early in the second period.  Augie Fritz sent the puck to Corey Roadhouse who skated it along the right boards deep into the Ice Bears’ end.  Roadhouse turned and passed the puck out to Charlie Wigdale at the point.  Wigdale stepped in and bombed a shot into the Germantown net at 5:47.

The Ice Bears moved a wee bit closer with a goal late in the second period.  Off a face off in the USM left corner, the puck squirted into the slot and several players from each team moved to control it.  Carter Ympa of the Ice Bears got it and pushed it back into the circle to Conrad Acheson.  Acheson whirled and laced a bullet through the scrum in front of the net to tally Germantown’s lone goal at 14:13.

The Germantown goal only encouraged the Wildcats to step up their play, and USM scored three goals in the next four minutes.  Along the boards in the USM zone, Tesensky got the puck and sent a long cross-ice pass to Leahy who had darted into center ice.  On a breakaway, Leahy wheeled down the center of the Germantown zone.  With several deft stickhandling moves, Leahy transfixed Collins, swooped past him, and tucked the puck in like it was a baby in a cradle after a lullaby.  Time of the goal: 15:33.

USM scored again at 16:00 of the second period.  Fighting for the puck in the Germantown left corner, Roadhouse got it and pushed it along the boards to Nathan Burke at the point. Burke rifled his shot high into the net.

At the start of the third period, Germantown replaced Collins at goalie with Matt Schulte.  The Wildcats decided to quickly let their new goaltending foe have a taste of of their goal scoring medicine. During a power play at 0:39, Storch gained the puck along the left boards in the Germantown zone.  He passed it to Tesensky at the point.  Tesensky walked it along the blue line and from its center he blazed a shot over Schulte’s shoulder.

In the game Collins made 18 saves and Schulte made 4 for a total of 22 saves by the Germantown goalies.  At the other end Dan Smyczek stopped 16 of the 17 shots put his way.

The Germantown Co-op is now 7-9-2.  The Ice Bears host the Bay Port/Pulaski Co-op at 8:00 on Friday January 22 at the Kettle Moraine Ice Center.  USM improved its record to 5-7-2.  The Wildcats travel to Eagle River for a first round game in the Pines Classic Tournament against Hayward at 5:00 on Friday.