USM 8 vs NORTHLAND PINES 3

University School won the Pines Classic Tournament in Eagle River by defeating the tournament’s host Northland Pines 8-3 Saturday.

USM outshot Northland Pines 62 to 25 to capture the Championship Trophy and bring it back to Milwaukee. Northland Pines caught USM unprepared and scored the game’s first goal as the game got underway.  From a face off in the USM end, Mike Macdonald drew the puck back to the point to sophomore defenseman Matt Kaitchuck.  Kaitchuck passed it immediately to A.J. Kornley in the high slot.  Kornley swiftly fired it between the legs of USM’s senior goaltender Dan Smyczek at 1:04.

The goal woke up the Wildcats and they scored a little over a minute later.  In the Northland Pines’ end, USM senior Alex Tesensky sent a pass across the slot to junior Simon Leahy.  Leahy moved toward the net and shot the puck through the five hole of the Eagles’ senior goalie Lee Satran at 2:09.

USM soon went ahead 2-1.  While playing shorthanded, Leahy picked off a Pines’ pass in the Eagles end and waited for Tesensky to support him.  Leahy slid the puck to Tesensky who was heading toward the Eagles’ goal like a Federal Express truck with a special delivery.  Tesensky skated across the slot and let loose a shot that stymied Satran at 6:16 of the first period.

USM added another goal in the first period when Tesensky tipped in a point shot by senior defenseman Charlie James at 9:48.

The Wildcats scored what proved to be the game winner just 14 seconds into the second period.  USM dumped the puck into the Eagles’ end.  Junior James Shovers raced into the zone, beating all Pines players to the puck.  Shovers shoveled the puck out front to Tesensky who one-timed it past Satran.

Northland Pines moved back into a semblance of contention with a power play goal late in the second period.  Senior Lucas Otto stopped a USM clear along the USM right mid-boards.  He skated into the circle and sniped a shot past Smyczek at 14:16.

The Wildcats regrouped between periods and came out of the locker room determined to widen their lead.  They did so quickly.  Junior Ian Palin checked a Northland Pines’ defenseman along the boards in Northland Pines’ zone.  Palin got the puck and passed it to junior Aaron Storch in the near circle.  Storch skated below the goal line, and before he went behind the net, he slid a pass into the slot to sophomore Ashton Wackym. Wackym slapped a one-timer past Satran at 1:15.

USM made it 6-2 at 5:39.  Leahy intercepted a pass at the Northland Pines’ blue line, skated in, and flipped it over Satran’s blocker for an unassisted goal.

USM went ahead 7-2 less than a minute later.  From a face-off in the Northland Pines’ zone, senior Augie Fritz won the puck back to junior defenseman Zach Hafeman.  Hafeman blasted a shot that sophomore Kenny Servis tipped in at 6:21.

The USM scoring deluge began to ebb, but not before the Wildcats added a power play goal at 7:34.  Storch got the puck in the slot and passed it to Hafeman at the point.  Hafeman rang a shot off the pipe that bounced to James in the low slot, and James stuffed it in like he was fixing a Thanksgiving turkey.

Northland Pines scored their third goal in the diminishing minutes of the game when freshman Austin Ramesh tipped sophomore defenseman Logan Croker's point shot past Smyczek replacement Ben Myers at 14:15.

In the game Satran saved 58 shots.  Smyczek stopped 17 and Myers turned aside 5 for a USM save total of 22.

Northland Pines’ record fell to 6-11. Northland Pines faces off against Lakeland at the Lakeland Ice Arena January 28th at 7:00 p.m.  With the tournament win, USM improved its record to 7-7-2.  The Wildcats play an old Milwaukee foe, Marquette, at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 26th at USM.