Five games. Five wins. The Icecats’ dominant run began a month ago with a 6-0 shutout of the DC Stars on Dec. 12. In that game, WJ immediately set the tone for what was to come, limiting the DC Stars to very few quality chances while spending most of the night in the offensive zone. The Wildcats rolled out all their lines, wore down the Stars with sustained pressure and received contributions from deep in the lineup.
The Icecats followed that performance up with a 6-0 rout of the NWQO on Dec. 17, a game that showcased their depth and ability to take over from the opening faceoff. WJ’s forecheck, led by junior assistant captain Matthew Corwin, caused turnovers all night, which led directly to scoring chances inside the NWQO’s zone. By the final horn, it was clear that this wasn’t just a hot streak; it was a team finding its identity.
Dec. 19 marked the Icecats’ next outing, blanking Wootton 5-0 and avenging a 6-3 loss earlier this season with a complete, net-to-net performance. In the first meeting, Wootton had capitalized on WJ’s mistakes and breakdowns, but in the rematch, the script flipped. The Wildcats played disciplined, shutting down Wooton’s top threats and answering the Patriot rush with a strong counterattack.
WJ has begun to string together a series of lopsided wins that show just how dominant this team is becoming. The following week, on Dec. 2, a 9-3 victory over Upper Montgomery reassured the WJ faithful that the script was being flipped. The Icecats’ offense exploded and sophomore Finn Carr stole the spotlight by netting a hat trick to lead the scoring surge. His performance highlighted the young talent building this team’s success and underscored how dangerous WJ can be when their skill players get rolling.
“It feels good that a lot of hard work from the summer all the way to 5 a.m. practices has paid off for the team,” Carr said. “It’s good to get our rhythm back and keep the win streak alive.”
Most recently, the Wildcats capped their dominant stretch with a 7-1 win against Sherwood on Jan. 9, avenging their earlier 5-2 Halloween loss with a commanding statement victory. In that first meeting, Sherwood had handed WJ one of its toughest results of the year, but the rematch told a very different story. The Icecats controlled possession, won races to loose pucks, and finished their chances with confidence. By the end of the night, the 7-1 scoreline didn’t just even the series; it firmly established WJ as one of the most dangerous teams in the league and showed how far they’ve come since that Halloween setback.
“It was a tough loss earlier in the season, so it felt good to come back and get the win against them, especially as a goalie,” junior Isaac Russ said.
Tonight, the Icecats hit the ice for a special match-up against Churchill as they celebrate Senior Night, honoring four key veterans: captain Henry Horwell, assistant captain Oliver Curtis, Sophie Pyott and Johnny Abrams.
“We will continue our momentum by staying focused and keeping the energy from our past games the same,” Curtis said.
