On Sunday, Dec. 8, the Millard West hockey team hit the ice at Tim Moylan Tranquility Iceplex to take on Lincoln Capitals West, riding the momentum of a two-game winning streak.
With the Wildcats entering the contest with a 6-2-2 record along with being winners in six of their past seven games, a win against a struggling Capitals West team would allow them to maintain their placement of fourth in the league standings and tie Creighton Prep.
“We needed to start with the upper hand,” senior defenseman and captain Cole Grandgenett said. “We knew we needed to go into the game and put the pressure on them, rather than being pushed into a corner for the whole game. We knew we had a lot going on around us in the standings and this would be an important game, so me and the other captains made sure to keep people in their element and not too pressured or nervous for the game ahead.”
The opening period featured fast-paced, end-to-end action with minimal stoppages. Both teams used the early minutes to gauge their opponent and settle into the game’s rhythm. As the period progressed, the Wildcats began to dominate possession, but their efforts were thwarted by the stellar play of the Capitals’ netminder, keeping the game scoreless.
When the puck dropped for the second period, the Wildcats came out energized and determined to take control. In the first five minutes, they relentlessly pressured the Capitals, forcing turnovers and generating scoring opportunities.
The breakthrough finally came around the eight-minute mark, courtesy of junior defenseman Gavin Spencer. After circling behind his own net, Spencer spotted senior captain Reece Wilson streaking up the ice, having already beaten a defender. Spencer delivered a perfect pass tape-to-tape, sending Wilson on a breakaway. Wilson would outwait the Capitals’ goaltender and buried his shot far side to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.
Off the ensuing faceoff, the Wildcats immediately took possession and went back to work in the offensive zone. After a loose puck made its way to the right circle and drifted towards the goal line, Grangenett zipped a pass right to the net front where freshman forward Alex Beacon was to tap it home and double the lead just 20 seconds after the opening goal.
“Both those goals helped re-energize the entire time quickly,” freshman forward Alex Beacon said. “It completely swung momentum in our favor and we used it to put on even more pressure and shots. It was a part of our game plan to quickly wear them down, then attack the net.”
As the period continued, the Wildcats left little room for the Capitals to muster any offensive opportunities until the final few minutes. The Capitals would escape their own defensive end with a long stretch pass all the way into the Wildcat end. Lincoln sophomore Isaac Parker took the pass near the blueline, put the puck around the legs of the trailing Wildcat defender, and swiftly wired his shot to the short side of Wildcat freshman goaltender Matthew Scheer, cutting the lead to 2-1 heading into the second intermission.
In the final period, the Wildcats’ relentless offense continued to overwhelm Capitals West. Just three minutes in, a failed clearing attempt by Lincoln in their defensive zone was intercepted by Spencer near the blue line. Spencer fired a shot toward the goal, and Wilson skillfully deflected it through the five-hole to restore Millard West’s two-goal advantage.
The Wildcats maintained their dominant offensive pressure throughout the period, keeping the action flowing with minimal stoppages as they relentlessly peppered the Lincoln netminder with shots.
In the final minute of play, Spencer once again intercepted a clearing attempt in Lincoln’s defensive zone. Skating toward the left faceoff dot, he advanced closer to the crease before unleashing a pinpoint shot that found the far corner of the net, sealing the game at 4-1 in favor of the Cats.
“As the game progressed we just needed more offense and needed to generate more shots,” Wilson said. “After the second intermission, our coach was on us about how we needed shots and more pressure to create offense and we eventually ended up outshooting them 16-4 in the third. I think the thing that has given us this boost was starting the season 0-2 and getting blown out which didn’t help our team morale. Getting one game back at a time and building on that really helped the team grow and connect.” With their seventh win on the year, the Wildcats now prepare for a Wednesday night clash against the Papillion Monarchs before facing three back-to-back-to-back games from Dec. 14-16. You can catch game updates live from the team’s official Instagram and weekend live streams on the Wildcat Sports Network.
