ARROWHEAD 2 vs USM 3

In a Sectional 8 semi-final game, University School hung on to eliminate the defending state champion Arrowhead by a score of 3-2 at University School Tuesday night.

The early action was intense as each team tested the defense of the opponent.  USM was able to score first.  Junior Simon Leahy dumped the puck into the Arrowhead left corner.  Forechecking ferociously, USM senior Alex Tesensky checked the Arrowhead defenseman and separated him from the puck.  Tesensky grabbed it, skated into the circle, and blasted a shot that jetted over the glove of Arrowhead’s junior goalie Jake Michael, rang off the far post, and curved into the net at 8:14 of the first period.

Arrowhead tied the game 1-1 midway through the second period on a power play.  Skating into the USM zone, senior Colin Opay dumped the puck behind the USM net and raced to get it.  He pushed it away from a USM defender to Arrowhead senior Brian Berger.  Berger tapped it to senior Logan Martell in the low right circle.  Martell swung toward the net and slid his low shot in the near side past USM’s senior goaltender Dan Smyczek at 10:44.

The tie was brief.  USM came right back and took the lead at 11:30.  USM junior got the puck in the Arrowhead left corner, skated behind the net, wheeled to the far post and tried to tuck the puck in.  The puck hit Michaels’ skate and rebounded out front.  USM sophomore Ashton Wackym put his stick on it, and like he was putting a piece of bread in a toaster, he slid it in.

USM quickly added another on a power play.  From a face off in the Arrowhead end, Storch won the draw back to Leahy, who immediately passed the puck to Tesensky at the point.  Tesensky one-timed a low shot that hit Michael’s pad and rebounded onto the stick of USM senior Charlie James.  James bashed it in at 12:53.

The third period began with the Warhawks on the warpath, and they took it to USM.  Smyczek made some great saves, and his teammates effectively kept Arrowhead at bay for most of the period.  But the Warhawks did get closer at 6:18 on a power play.  Berger got the puck and sent it behind the net to junior Colton Sweiter.  From a low angle Sweiter shot it toward the net and the puck hit off a leg and bounce in.

That goal added tension to another classic confrontation between these two arch rivals.  Arrowhead tried to score once more, but Smyczek and his cohorts withstood the assault, chipped the puck out of the their zone, and got it into Arrowhead’s end effectively.  As the last minute ticked off,  Arrowhead pulled Michaels for an extra attacker, but even that was not enough. 

Arrowhead ended its season with a 14-11-1 record.  USM improved its record to 14-7-3.  The Wildcats move on to the Sectional final game.  The Wildcats will play Cedarburg, who defeated Fond du Lac 6-3 in the other Sectional 8 semi-final.  The Sectional final will be played at Beaver Dam at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 27th.