The Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School club ice hockey team saw action last Friday night in an exciting game at the Haymarket Iceplex against the Fauquier Bulldogs.

MEH struck first with Cole McDowell’s first period goal with assists from Tom Ferrick and Jacob Lechner. The Bulldogs tied it up with only a few seconds remaining in the first period, then went ahead with another goal near the middle of the second. A minute later, MEH knotted it at 2-2 with an unassisted goal by Scott Strauss. The rest of the period was all Bulldogs as they added two more goals, ending the second period 4-2 with MEH down.

MEH jacked up the pressure in the third period, with Alec Reusch and Jack MacKinnon leading an intensive forechecking effort in the offensive end. The hard work paid off when Alex Wang scored at 12:29, assisted by Ryan Henderson. Henderson assisted again less than two minutes later on a goal by Jackson Oppel to tie the game at four.

The game became a nail-biter with 1:12 left when MEH took a penalty and had to finish the game short-handed. But the team rallied, and with 40 seconds remaining, McDowell notched his second goal of the game with Oppel assisting to give MEH a 5-4 lead. Down a man for the remainder of the game, MEH ran out the clock to nab the win.

Goalie Henry Middlebrook played a strong game, never allowing his team to fall out contention.

With the win, MEH team moves to 3-1 on the season. The team plays next in an exhibition game against the Arlington Admirals at Tucker Road Ice Rink in Fort Washington, Maryland on Friday.