Last Tuesday, Feb. 18., the WJ Icecats won their first round state playoff game against Easton, 7-1 in a blowout match. The team, not knowing much about Easton, was optimistic but also cautious about their first round game.
The Cats were confident going into the playoffs but after a close county playoff game against rival B-CC, they were hesitant to be overconfident.
“B-CC brought the toughest student section of the year and I think that made the game a lot tougher to play against,” senior assistant captain Jack Potash said. “I’m glad we pulled out the win and advanced to the state playoffs.”
In the earlier county playoff game against B-CC, the Cats struggled due to B-CC’s extensive student section that was able to make lots of noise compared to the Icecats’ own section. However, this was not the case during the Easton game, with little to no students traveling the long distance to support their hockey club.
The game started quickly, with the Cats scoring their first goal early in the first period. But with the goal being so early in the game, the Cats still had to stay composed, and keep up the play to prevent Easton’s own attack.
“It felt great, I was really looking forward to my first state playoff game, and I’m happy we started off the way we did it made the game feel a lot more competitive,” freshman Luke Anderson said.
Unfortunately, almost immediately after building upon the early momentum, Easton returned the favor, tying the game up. This posed an early shock to the Icecats. Easton proved that they could score effectively, showing the Cats that they would need to keep their offense up to win the game.
After Easton’s equalizer goal, the Cats stepped up their attack and defense, not allowing another goal the rest of the game while responding with six more. Thanks to a combination of goals, including a hattrick from junior assistant captain Henry Horwell and back-to-back goal games from senior Cameron Luskin, the Cats were able to seal this playoff game.
The Icecats resume play on Tuesday, Feb. 25. against Oakdale. They are preparing for a much tougher opponent and the danger of their season ending. To push further into the playoffs, they will have to continue their goal-scoring rampage.
