The Walter Johnson Icecats faced the Oakdale Bears on Tuesday, Feb. 25 in the state quarterfinals. The Cats fought well but ultimately lost in a 4-0 shutout, crushing their postseason hopes. The Bears went on to win both the state semifinals and finals to be crowned State Champions.

The Cats played Easton in the first round of the playoffs, winning 7-1 in a blowout. Expecting a tougher match against Oakdale, the Cats were prepared to give it their all to win another playoff match and advance to the semifinals.

“We adjusted some of our play, like our penalty kill, based on what we saw in the film,” senior assistant captain Max Epstein said. “We knew they were a very strong team and would be a lot better than Easton, so we expected a tough battle.”

The Cats seemed to lack energy early in the game after a first period goal by Oakdale. Long shifts and constant rebound shots kept the Cats tired and prevented important lines from getting needed rest.

“Oakdale has a lot of depth, so they could roll many lines,” junior assistant captain Henry Horwell said. “While we were able to hang with them in the beginning, it slowly tired us out and they were able to pull away with the lead.”

Going into the second period down one, the Cats took their much needed break to recoup and try to even the score. Stuck mostly within their own defensive end for the majority of the first period, the Cats sought out to try and change that.

“We ran a pretty aggressive forecheck against them,” Horwell said. “Our main goal was to try to take away time and space so they couldn’t move forward through the neutral zone.”

The aggressiveness started to pay off early with a few good pokes on the puck and changes of possession, but ultimately led to few shots on goal with no luck. The Bears’ goalie had a great showing and gave the Cats a tough time the entire game.

Although the Cats’ aggressive play was able to give themselves more opportunities offensively, the relentlessness of the Bears’ forecheck continued on near the Icecats’ goal. Lose pucks and rebounds eventually started to favor Oakdale, giving the Bears a 3-0 lead going into the 3rd period.

“We planned to come back by working our hardest as a team and generating better offense,” senior assistant captain Jack Potash said.

With hope to get their first goal of the game and some momentum on their side, the Icecats stepped onto the ice for what was their last time this season. They brought more energy and stayed aggressive, but ultimately fell short and were unable to capitalize on any opportunities given to them.

The Oakdale Bears soon scored a final goal on an empty net, effectively ending the Cats’ season and many of the seniors’ hockey careers with the team. The Icecats played well this season, ending with a 12-2 record.

“Being a captain was also a huge honor that I’m very grateful for and I’m excited to see what the team can do in the coming years,” senior Max Epstien said.