University School moves to sectional final
FOND DU LAC — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson once looked deep down the lens of a camera and said, “If there’s one thing that Hollywood has taught me, that’s act one and act two, it don’t matter, the only thing that matters, everyone remembers act three.”
In the University School co-op’s 2-0 sectional semifinal shutout victory over Fond du Lac’s co-op on Tuesday night, act three was one of its best and finest performances of the season after two defeats to the Warbirds earlier in the year in Eastern Shores Conference play.
“This was really big,” Wildcats coach Dan Carey said with a huge smile on his face. “I don’t know how else to describe it. Hats off to the girls tonight. We’ve talked to them a lot about being mentally focused and not getting distracted by little things and that’s exactly what they did tonight.
“They just worked their tails off and did what they asked them to do. They should’ve been rewarded for that part and they were. We get to play more hockey on Saturday.”
University School junior goaltender Molly Jex has 24-save performance
The Wildcats advanced to Saturday’s sectional final against top-seeded De Pere for a spot in next week’s state tournament in Middleton, largely on the back of a spectacular 24-save performance from junior goaltender Molly Jex.
“At one point in the game, her stick is broken and she lost her stick a couple times, but she’s such a strong, mental player,” Carey said. “She’s an outstanding all-state tennis player and just a really great person. She works hard and watching her make saves is unbelievable at times. We know that we need Molly to be Molly for us to be successful and she was certainly successful tonight.”
While Jex was standing on her head inside of the crease, the Wildcats grinded through one of their best performances in their recent 12 wins-in-13game stretch, including two victories in the postseason so far. It was their fourth shutout victory in the stretch and it was earned after a bit of a shaky start to the contest in a scoreless first period.
“I think we were a bit nervous in that first period,” Carey said after the Warbirds only put four shots on Jex’s net, but controlled much of the action throughout. “We didn’t really do anything bad necessarily, but we didn’t really have much of groove until we got that goal early in the second period.”
Eileen Carey scores early in second period for USM
After the Wildcats outshot the Warbirds 8-4 in the opening period, USM struck first on a wonderful goal from captain Eileen Carey 78 seconds into the second period immediately from an offensive zone faceoff with a Charlotte Fetherston assist; her seventh point in two playoff games.
The Warbirds looked for a response throughout the final 16-plus minutes of the period, outshooting the Wildcats 11-8, but Jex was as steady as they come, even stonewalling Warbirds star defenseman Ella Spies on a clean breakaway opportunity with 5:04 left before the second intermission.
“I always go into every game saying, ‘I have to be the best one out there. I have to be the rock for the team.’ They have to lean on me and I lean on them,” Jex said. “Everybody goes crazy on the bench for those types of plays. It’s just a surge of momentum. After those kinds of big plays, I feel like I can do anything (laughs).”
Things got dicey in the final period with back-to-back penalties from sophomore forward Ena Hines in a four-minute stretch. The Warbirds had a couple of close opportunities, but a key defensive play from defenseman Nina Szatmary during a defensive zone faceoff sequence in front of Jex’s crease and not one, but two hellacious efforts from the USM penalty kill set up Lily Valimont’s game-sealing empty net goal with 26.1 left sent the Wildcats to the final eight.
“It’s amazing to have another chance to show that I can be the best goalie in the state,” Jex said on advancing to the doorstep of the state tournament. “It’s amazing to get another chance to show that this team can be the best team in the state and that’s what we’re gonna work for for the rest of the week, and hopefully on Saturday when we win.”