
MIDDLETON — His new teammates on the Middleton boys hockey team have welcomed senior Joe O’Reilly with open arms after he transferred from New Trier High School in Illinois.
On Tuesday night, O’Reilly got host Middleton off to a fast start in its Big Eight Conference opener against Madison Memorial.
O’Reilly, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound center, scored the game’s first goal and later broke a 1-1 tie with his second goal of the night as the Cardinals came away with a 4-2 victory at Capitol Ice Arena.
“To get that first conference win under your belt is big,” Middleton coach Steffon Walby said. “We are still trying to identify who were are as a team. To come out, work hard and get rewarded with such a good, solid performance helps us grow. I think the big thing is they have committed to being a lunch-pail crew.”
O’Reilly flew in along the left wing, moved to the middle and scored the opening goal only 3 minutes, 19 seconds into the first period for Middleton (2-2-0 overall, 1-0-0 Big Eight).
“I saw a lot of open ice,” O’Reilly said. “But I think the big part of the game is luck. Puck luck is a hockey term. I was lucky; the puck slipped through the guy’s feet and the next thing I knew I was in alone on the goalie (senior Wes Turner). He’s a great goalie. He came out and challenged me. I went around him and found the open net. It was great for momentum right away and to set the tone for the rest of the game.”
Said Walby about O’Reilly: “He’s a strong skater, powerful. He’s an ox to move.”
Turner rallied after O’Reilly’s opening unassisted goal, making nine saves in the first period. The Spartans applied some offensive pressure, but Cardinals junior goalie Noah Hogan was up to the task, stopping seven shots in the first 17 minutes.
The Spartans (0-3-0, 0-1-0) answered right away in the second period, scoring 29 seconds into a power-play opportunity. Senior forward Drew Bradley tied the game only 1:06 into the second period, with senior forward Jack Faulkner and senior forward Andrew Olson credited with the assists.
But O’Reilly again gave Middleton the lead.
His blazing wrist shot from in the slot in front rattled the pipes as he scored his second goal at the 12:04 mark of the second period. Freshman forward Garrett Ballweg had the assist on O’Reilly’s goal for a 2-1 advantage.
“That was a great setup from my teammate, Garrett,” O’Reilly said. “He dropped the puck right to me.”
The Cardinals pulled away in the third period. Sophomore forward Thomas Moreau scored on a rebound with 14:55 remaining to play and senior winger Brooks Kalscheur scored a short-handed goal 4:39 into the period.
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