The Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) had an impressive 23-24 regular season as they finished in 4th place with 45 points in the varsity, Division 3 - Ridge Conference with a season record of 15-3-0. There were multiple winning streaks during the 23-24 regular season with their most impressive being a six-game winning streak during the span of Games 8-13. The team closed off the 23-24 regular season strong with a four-game winning streak.

GAME 1 | Saturday, September 23, 2023 | Corona Norco 3 2, Inland Empire United 3 0

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Corona Norco 3 at KHS Ice Arena Rink #1 and lost with a final score of 2-0.

The first and second periods remained scoreless for both teams despite the Wolverines Varsity having a total of 12 shots on goal (9 in the first period, 3 in the second period) and Corona Norco 3 having a total of 27 shots on goal by the end of the second period (14 in the first period, 33 in the second period). Despite being scoreless, both teams did have numerous power play opportunities which remained unsuccessful during both periods. 

Although the Wolverines Varsity did have three power play opportunities in the third period, they remained scoreless during their season-opening game. Corona Norco 3 was able to slip two goals past Wolverines Varsity’s goaltender, Ethan Furler, who ended up facing twelve shots on goal during this period while Corona Norco 3’s goaltender Makai Collins faced three shots on goal. 

By the end of Game 1 of the 23-24 regular season, Furler saved a total of 37 out of 39 shots on goal and the game ended with a final score of 2-0 in Corona Norco 3’s favor. 

This loss would be the driving force as the Wolverines Varsity would go on to have a five-game winning streak (Games 2-6). 

Five-Game Winning Streak (Games 2-6)

GAME 2 | Saturday, September 30, 2023 | Inland Empire United 3 2, Bishop Amat 1

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Bishop Amat at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena Rink #3 and won in overtime with a final score of 2-1.

The first period, similar to Game 1 of the 23-24 regular season, started scoreless despite both teams having power play opportunities as Bishop Amat received two penalties and Wolverines Varsity received one penalty. Bishop Amats’ goaltender, Alexander Salvatierra, saved all 18 shots on goal and Wolverines Varsity’s Furler saved all 3 shots on goal. The score after the first period was 0-0. 

Wolverines Varsity were the first to score during Game 2 as Takumi Pastora scored his first goal of the season at 14:28 which was assisted by Adrian Duran (1-0). Only one penalty was received during the second period by Bishop Amat who would later score at 02:18 which tied the game. The score by the end of the second period was 1-1 with Bishop Amat having 9 shots on goal and the Wolverines Varsity having 10 shots on goal. 

After a scoreless third period, Game 2 was still tied 1-1. The Wolverines Varsity had two power play opportunities and 21 shots on goal while Bishop Amats had one powerplay opportunity and 3 shots on goal. 

With the game still tied 1-1, this forced the teams to go to overtime where both teams recorded one shot on goal. Wolverines Varsity’s Benjamin Juraj Sepak broke the tie at 02:07 with an unassisted game-winning goal which made the final score 2-1 in their favor. By the end of Game 2, Wolverines Varsity’s Furler saved 15 out of 16 shots while Bishop Amat’s Salvatierra saved 48 out of 50 shots. 

The momentum from this win would be carried into their next matchup against Poway. 

GAME 3 | Saturday, October 7, 2023 | Inland Empire United 3 4, Poway 2

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Poway at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena Rink #2 and won with a final score of 4-2.

Despite Poway scoring first in the first period, the Wolverines Varsity were able to tie the game at 04:33 with a powerplay goal by Markus Mineck which was assisted by Valos Owen (1-1). Wolverines Varsity’s Logan Strasser would score his first goal of the regular season at 02:57, assisted by Casey Brooks and Kyle Noyes who made the score by the end of the period 2-1 in the Wolverines Varsity’ favor. Poway received five penalties and had 7 shots on goal. Wolverines Varsity received two penalties and had 13 shots on goal by the end of the first period.

Poway opened up the second period as they scored a goal at 09:37 which tied the game momentarily (2-2) until Wolverines Varsity’ Preston Flanders scored his first goal of the season. Flanders’ goal was assisted by Brooks and Strasser at 06:45 helped the Wolverines Varsity to regain the lead and made the score 3-2. The Wolverines Varsity had four power play opportunities as Poway received four penalties during the second period. Poway’s goaltender, Jacob Behar, saved 9 out of 10 shots while Wolverines Varsity’s Furler saved 5 out of 6 shots by the end of the second period. 

Wolverines Varsity’s Brooks would score his first goal of the season and secure the lead with an unassisted power-play goal at 13:14 which made the score 4-2. Three penalties were received during the third period; one penalty for the Wolverines Varsity who had 14 shots on goal and two penalties for Poway who had 7 shots on goal. By the end of the game, the Wolverines Varsity had a total of 37 shots on goal while Poway had 20 shots on goal. The Wolverines Varsity won with a final score of 4-2, continuing their winning streak and momentum as they faced Central Cathedral 3 in Game 4. 

GAME 4 | Saturday, October 13, 2023 | Inland Empire United 3 3, Central Cathedral 3 0 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Central Cathedral 3 at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena Rink #4 and won with a final score of 3-0.

Wolverines Varsity’ Flanders scored the first goal of game 4 which was a powerplay goal, assisted by Landen Gallardo at 05:00 making the score 1-0. There were a total of five penalties received during the first period. Three out of five were called on Central Cathedral 3 and two out of five penalties were called on the Wolverines Varsity. By the end of the first period, Wolverines Varsity had 9 shots on goal while Central Cathedral 3 had 8 shots on goal. 

Although there were no goals scored in the second period, both teams had 2 power play opportunities. By the end of the second period, the Wolverines Varsity still had the lead (1-0) and ended with 10 shots on goal while Central Cathedral 3 had 9 shots on goal. 

Wolverines Varsity extended their lead after scoring two goals during the third period. Noyes scored the first goal of the third period at 14:34, assisted by Takumi Pastora (2-0). A powerplay goal was scored at 08:59 by Cole Metz and assisted by Duran and Pastora making the score 3-0. The two goals scored by Noyes and Metz would also be the first goals of the season recorded by the two players. Central Cathedral 3 was unable to answer back during their two power play opportunities and 7 shots on goal. By the end of the game, Wolverines Varsity’s Furler saved all 23 shots while Central Cathedral 3’s goaltender, Samuel Pothier, saved 28 out of 31 shots. 

This shutout win would drive the Wolverines Varsity during their next matchup against Villa Park.

GAME 5 | Saturday, October 14, 2023 | Inland Empire United 3 6, Villa Park 3 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Villa Park at KHS Ice Arena Rink #1 and won with a final score of 6-3.

Noyes opened up the first period with a goal at 09:12 which was assisted by Gallardo and made the score 1-0 in the Wolverines Varsity’s favor. Villa Park was unable to answer back before time ran out in the first period despite also having two power play opportunities. Furler was in the net for Wolverines Varsity and saved all 7 shots while Samuel Cisneros was in net for Villa Park and saved 13 out of 14 shots by the end of the first period. 

Villa Park scored first during the second period which tied the game at 13:36 (1-1). Wolverines Varsity were able to regain the lead after Duran scored his first goal of the season which was assisted by Owen at 07:45 (2-1). Twenty seconds later, Wolverines Varsity’ Flanders scored a goal, assisted by Carson Maurer which extended their lead (3-1). Flanders would then score again at 04:34 after an assist by Duran, making the score 4-1. There were five penalties total during the second period (three for Villa Park, two for Wolverines Varsity) and both teams ended the period with 7 shots on goal. 

Villa Park scored first in the third period at 15:09 which cut the deficit by 2 goals. Two unassisted powerplay goals were scored by Wolverines Varsity. The first unassisted power-play goal was scored by Duran at 08:27 and the second was scored by Gallardo at 07:22 which made the score 6-2. Gallardo’s goal would be his first recorded goal of the regular season. Villa Park was able to score a powerplay goal at 01:00 and made the final score 6-3. There were a total of five penalties total during the third period. Two out of five penalties were called on Villa Park who had 9 shots on goal. Three out of five penalties were called on Wolverines Varsity who had 7 shots on goal. By the end of the game, Furler saved 20 out of 23 shots while Villa Parks’ Cisneros saved 22 out of 28 shots. 

The determination to keep winning, especially after their 6-2 win, continued into their Game 6 matchup against Bishop Gorman 3.

GAME 6 | Saturday, October 21, 2023 | Inland Empire United 3 4, Bishop Gorman 3 2 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Bishop Gorman 3 at Anaheim ICE NHL Rink and won with a final score of 4-2.

Gallardo scored both Wolverines Varsity’s unassisted goals in the first period. The first goal was a powerplay goal at 07:46 and the second goal was at 04:47 which were both left unanswered, making the score 2-0. There were multiple penalties during the first period as Bishop Gorman 3 received four penalties and Wolverines Varsity received two penalties. Furler was in the net again for the Wolverines Varsity and faced 7 shots while James Schmierer was the goaltender for Bishop Gorman 3 and faced 5 shots by the end of the first period. 

Bishop Gorman 3 scored the only goal in the second period at 07:32 which was a shorthanded goal (2-1). There were eleven penalties received during the second period. Six out of eleven penalties were called on Wolverines Varsity and five out of eleven penalties were called on Bishop Gorman 3. By the end of the period, Bishop Gorman 3 had 9 shots on goal while Wolverines Varsity had 5 shots on goal. 

The Wolverines Varsity opened up the third period with a short-handed goal by Strasser which was assisted by Pastora at 08:10 and made the score 3-1. Bishop Gorman 3 would score again at 04:44 which cut the deficit by one goal until Wolverines Varsity’ Noyes scored an unassisted goal at 00:59. Noyes’ goal would secure the Wolverines Varsity' lead, making the final score 4-2. The Wolverines Varsity were the only team to receive penalties during the third period and had 10 shots on goal compared to Bishop Gorman 3’s 7 shots on goal. By the end of Game 6, Furler saved 21 out of 23 shots while Bishop Gorman 3’s Schmierer saved 16 out of 20 shots. 

The momentum from this 4-2 win would carry into their tough matchup against Saddleback United which unfortunately ended Wolverines Varsity’s winning streak.

GAME 7 | Saturday, October 28, 2023 | Saddleback United 7, Inland Empire United 3 5

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Saddleback United at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena Rink #3 and lost with a final score of 7-5.

Saddleback United dominated the first period as they scored two goals at 13:09 and another goal at 00:14. Wolverines Varsity’ Owen recorded his first goal of the season which was a powerplay goal at 05:57, assisted by Flanders. The first period ended with a score of 2-1 in favor of Saddleback United. Penalties were evenly split between both teams as each team received one penalty. Wolverines Varsity had 19 shots on goal while Saddleback United had 5 shots on goal by the end of the first period. 

The second period was controlled by Saddleback United as they scored three goals which included a powerplay goal at 08:22, a shorthanded goal at 03:30, and then a goal at 01:00. The second period ended with a score of 5-1 in favor of Saddleback United. Wolverines Varsity received one penalty and had 11 shots on goal. Saddleback United received two penalties and had 12 shots on goal by the end of the second period. 

Wolverines Varsity came back to life in the third period as Gallardo scored two unassisted goals at 11:59 and 11:13 cutting the four-goal deficit down to two goals (5-3). Saddleback United answered back at 08:41 with a shorthanded goal which made the score 6-3. After an assist by Wolverines Varsity’s Juraj Sepak, Gallardo scored a powerplay goal at 07:20 which also recorded his first hat trick of the season and made the score 6-4. Owen would then score an unassisted goal at 06:23 and momentarily made the game a one-goal game until Saddleback United scored an unassisted goal with 7 seconds left in the third period. Saddleback United’s last goal of the game made the final score 7-5. Saddleback United ended the third period with three penalties and 6 shots on goal. The Wolverines Varsity ended the third period with one penalty and 16 shots on goal. By the end of game 7, Saddleback United had a total of 46 shots on goal while Wolverines Varsity had 23 shots on goal. 

Despite the challenges faced during this game, the Wolverines Varsity’s comeback in the third period was commendable and Gallardo’s hattrick was very impressive. This Game 7 loss would be the driving force for the Wolverines Varsity’s six-game winning streak. 

Six-Game Winning Streak (Games 8-13)

GAME 8 | Friday, November 3, 2023 | Inland Empire United 3 5, Fairmont 3 2 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Fairmont 3 at KHS Ice Arena Rink #1 and won with a final score of 5-2.

The Wolverines Varsity took control of the first period and scored two goals which ended the first period with a score of 2-0 in their favor. The first goal was an unassisted goal by Aiden Pedraza at 13:51 (the first recorded goal of the season) and then a powerplay goal at 06:35 by Flanders which was assisted by Gallardo and Pedraza. There were a total of six penalties during the first period. Four out of six were called on Fairmont 3 and two out of six were called on Wolverines Varsity. Furler was in net for the Wolverines Varsity and saved all 6 shots. Jack Shaberly was in net for Fairmont 3 and saved 7 out of 9 shots on goal during the first period. 

Fairmont 3 opened up the second period as they scored at 11:15 and made the score 2-1. The Wolverines Varsity were able to score two goals and extend their lead with a score of 4-1 by the end of the second period. One out of the two goals was scored by Aiden Pedraza at 07:41 (3-1) and the second goal was scored at 02:04 by Flanders, assisted by Strasser and Owen (4-1). The Penalties were split evenly during this period as each team received one penalty. Fairmont 3 had 3 shots on goal while Wolverines Varsity had 7 shots on goal by the end of the second period. 

Both teams scored a goal during the third period. Fairmont 3 scored the first goal of the third period at 04:45 which made the score 4-2. Shortly after Fairmont 3’s goal, Flanders scored an unassisted goal at 02:26 which made the final score 5-2. Flanders’ goal in the third period completed his first hat-trick of the season. Fairmont 3 received two penalties and had 5 shots on goal while Wolverines Varsity received one penalty and had 6 shots on goal during the third period. By the end of Game 8, Furler saved 12 out of 14 shots and Fairmont 3’s Shaberly saved 17 out of 22 shots. 

This Game 8 win would be the driving force as the Wolverines Varsity prepared to dominate Carlsbad United 3 in their Game 9 matchup. 

GAME 9 | Friday, November 17, 2023 | Inland Empire United 3 12, Carlsbad United 3 1 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Carlsbad United 3 at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena Rink #4 and won with a final score of 12-1.

Wolverines Varsity completely dominated and took control of all three periods of the game as they scored 5 goals in the first and second periods and 2 goals in the third period. Adrien Ortega was in net for the Wolverines Varsity and only let 1 Carlsbad United goal slip past him in the second period. By the end of Game 9, Ortega faced a total of 8 shots while Jaden Freeman, Carlsbad United 3’s goaltender, faced 45 shots and saved 33 of those shots on goal. 

Juraj Sepak opened up the first period and scored the first goal which was assisted by Noyes at 13:35 (1-0). Strasser scored a powerplay goal at 12:06 after an assist by Duran and Gallardo (2-1). Anthony Cuevas recorded his first goal of the season with a powerplay goal, assisted by Pedraza and Luke Tanner at 04:12 (3-0). Travis Holmes then scored a goal which was assisted by Owen and Tanner at 02:43 (4-0). The last goal of the first period was scored by Mineck, assisted by Cuevas and Brooks, at 2:20 and made the score 5-0. There were a total of five penalties received during this period. Three out of five penalties were called on Carlsbad United 3. Two out of 5 penalties were called on Wolverines Varsity. 

The second period was mainly controlled by the Wolverines Varsity as Strasser scored the first goal of the second period at 16:35 which was assisted by Owen and Gallardo (6-0). Holmes scored the second goal of the period at 14:58 after being assisted by Noyes (7-0). The third goal of the period was scored by Brooks who was assisted by Gallardo and Mineck at 12:56 (8-0). Shortly after, Gallardo scored a goal assisted by Strasser and Flanders at 08:36 (9-0). Carlsbad United scored their first and last goal of the game at 05:28 (9-1) which was then followed up by Gallardo scoring an unassisted power-play goal at 00:38 making the score 10-1. There were a total of four penalties received with each team receiving two penalties each 2 by the end of the second period. 

Pastora scored the last two Wolverines Varsity goals of the game making the final score 12-1. The first goal he scored during the third period was a powerplay goal, assisted by Strasser and Flander, at 08:41 (11-1). The second goal was at 04:12 which was assisted by Strasser and Gallardo (12-1). Carlsbad United 3 was unable to capitalize on their two power play opportunities in the third period as well as the previous two periods.

Overall, this was a very successful game for the Wolverines Varsity. Their determination to maintain their winning streak would continue into their next few matchups. 

GAME 10 | Saturday, November 18, 2023 | Inland Empire United 3 7, Capistrano United 3 0 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Capistrano United 3 at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena Rink #4 and won with a final score of 7-0.

No goals were scored during the first period despite Capistrano United 3 having five power play opportunities and Wolverines Varsity having one power play opportunity. By the end of the first period, Capistrano United 3 had 1 shot on goal while the Wolverines Varsity had 7 shots on goal. 

Wolverines Varsity completely dominated the second period as they maintained control and scored 4 goals. Gallardo scored the first goal of the second period at 13:40 which was assisted by Flanders (1-0). Brooks scored the second goal for the period, assisted by Cuevas and Pastora, at 07:08 (2-0). Gallardo would score again in the second period at 02:00 which was assisted by Strasser (3-0). The last goal scored during this period was an unassisted goal scored by Noyes at 00:43 which made the score 4-0. The Wolverines Varsity were also the only team to receive a penalty during this period and had 15 shots on goal compared to Capistrano United 3’s 6 shots on goal. 

Wolverines Varsity's Tanner recorded his first goal of the season at 11:47 which was a shorthanded goal, assisted by Owen (5-0). Gallardo would score his third goal of the game and record his second hattrick at 02:44 which was assisted by Strasser (6-0). The last goal of the game was an unassisted power-play goal by Brooks which ended the period with a final score of 7-0. There were a total of eight penalties received during the third period. Wolverines Varsity received five out of eight penalties and had 6 shots on goal. Capistrano United 3 received three out of eight penalties and had 1 shot on goal. By the end of the game, the Wolverines Varsity had a total of 28 shots on goal compared to Capistrano United 3’s 8 shots on goal. 

Wolverines Varsity would keep their momentum as they prepared to maintain control over their Game 11 matchup against Los Alamitos.

GAME 11 | Saturday, December 2, 2023 | Inland Empire United 3 3, Los Alamitos 3 0 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Los Alamitos 3 at Lakewood ICE Rink #1 and won with a final score of 3-0.

Wolverines Varsity maintained control of all three periods of the game as they scored 1 goal in each period while Furler, their goaltender, held down the fort and did not let any goals slip past him. Each period had multiple penalties received. 

Wolverines Varsity’s Gallardo, who had his second hattrick of the season in Game 10, scored the first goal of Game 11 which was assisted by Flanders at 15:44 and made the score 1-0. There were seven penalties received during the first period. Out of the seven total penalties, four penalties were received by the Wolverines Varsity who had 9 shots on goal. The remaining three penalties were received by Los Alamitos 3 who had 5 shots on goal by the end of the first period. 

Wolverines Varsity recorded the second goal of the game which was scored by Noyes and assisted by Gallardo at 03:45 which made the score 2-0. There were seven penalties received during the second period. Out of the seven total penalties, two were received by the Wolverines Varsity who had 8 shots on goal. The remaining five penalties were received by Los Alamitos 3 who had 5 shots on goal by the end of the first period.

The third period ended with a score of 3-0 after Owen scored an unassisted power-play goal at 16:15. Both teams received one penalty each during the third period. Shots on goal between both teams were relatively close as Los Alamitos 3 had 10 shots on goal and Wolverines Varsity had 11 shots on goal after the third period. By the end of Game 11, Furler saved all 20 shots while Los Alamitos 3’s goaltender, Jamie Juan, saved 25 out of 28 shots. 

Wolverines Varsity continued their winning streak as they faced St. John Bosco in Game 12.

GAME 12 | Friday, December 8, 2023 | Inland Empire United 3 7, St. John Bosco 5 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced St. John Bosco at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena Rink #3 and won with a final score of 7-5.

Wolverines Varsity maintained control in the first period as they were able to record two goals and hold onto a lead. The first goal was scored by Noyes, assisted by Pastora, at 15:31 (1-0). Juraj Sepak scored an unassisted goal at 13:31 which extended their lead and made the score 2-0. St. John Bosco made it a one-goal game as they scored a powerplay goal at 10:09 (2-1). Three penalties were received during this period. Two out of three penalties were called on Wolverines Varsity. One penalty was called on St. John Bosco. Both teams ended the first period with 11 shots on goal. 

Noyes scored an unassisted power-play goal at 12:32 (3-1) which was followed up by an unassisted St. John Bosco power-play goal at 11:36 (3-2). However, St. John Bosco’s effort to make it a one-goal game was nullified as Wolverines Varsity’s Cuevas scored an unassisted goal at 10:08 and made the score 4-2. Brooks would then extend the Wolverines Varsity's lead to 5-2 as he scored a goal, assisted by Mineck, at 02:24. There were a total of six penalties received during the second period which were evenly split between both teams (three penalties each). Wolverines Varsity had 12 shots on goal while St. John Bosco had 8 shots on goal. 

Wolverines Varsity’s Strasser opened up the third period as he scored an unassisted goal at 13:32 which made the score 6-2. St. John Bosco cut their four-goal deficit down to a two-goal deficit after they scored 2 powerplay goals at 11:16 and 03:45 which the score 6-4. Noyes would score a shorthanded empty net goal at 01:15, assisted by Mineck, and made the score 7-4. Noyes also recorded his first hat trick of the 23-24 regular season. Wolverines Varsity’s three-goal lead was short-lived as St. John Bosco scored a goal with one second left in the third period which made the final score 7-5. There were a total of seven penalties during the third period which included a 10-minute game misconduct received by a player on both teams. Five out of seven penalties were received by the Wolverines Varsity who had 13 shots on goal by the end of the period. The remaining two penalties were called on St. John Bosco who had 12 shots on goal by the end of the third period. There were a total of 36 shots on goal for the Wolverines Varsity and 31 shots on goal for St. John Bosco by the end of Game 12. 

Despite a final push by St. John Bosco, Wolverines Varsity continued their winning streak and determination to win as they entered their matchup against Santa Margarita in Game 13. 

GAME 13 | Friday, December 22, 2023 | Inland Empire United 3 3, Santa Margarita 3 0 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Santa Margarita 3 at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena Rink #3 and won with a final score of 3-0.

Wolverines Varsity’s Gallardo, after an assist by Strasser, scored the only goal of the first period at 04:00 which made the score 1-0. Wolverines Varsity were also the only team to receive a penalty during this period and had 9 shots on goal compared to Santa Margarita 3’s 10 shots on goal. 

Strasser would later score a goal assisted by Gallardo at 06:31 during the second period (2-0). Santa Margarita was the only team to receive a penalty during this period and had 7 shots on goal compared to Wolverines Varsity’s 8 shots on goal. 

Wolverines Varsity would close out the third period with a powerplay goal scored by Strasser and assisted by Gallardo and Noyes with 15 seconds left of the period and made the final score 3-0. Four penalties were called during the third period. Three out of four penalties were received by Santa Margarita who had 7 shots on goal. The remaining penalty was received by the Wolverines Varsity who had 14 shots on goal by the end of the third period. Santa Margarita 3’s goaltender, Casey Weatherbee, saved 28 out of 31 shots. Furler was able to hold down the fort and save all 24 shots, not letting any goals slip past him and ending the game with a shutout. 

This shutout would complete the Wolverines Varsity’s four-game winning streak as they would face a challenging matchup against Servite 3 in Game 14. 

GAME 14 | Saturday, January 6, 2024 | Servite 3 3, Inland Empire United 3 2

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Servite 3 at Anaheim ICE NHL Rink and lost in overtime with a final score of 3-2.

Servite 3 maintained control over the first and second periods as they scored a goal in each period making the score 2-0 by the end of the second period. The only penalty received during the first period was by the Wolverines Varsity. The second period had a total of six penalties (two for Servite 3, four for Wolverines Varsity). There were a total of 19 shots on goal for Servite 3 (7 in the first period, 12 in the second period) and 17 shots on goal for the Wolverines Varsity (10 in the first period, 7 in the second period). 

Wolverines Varsity made a comeback during the last few remaining minutes of the third period as Noyes scored an unassisted goal at 02:35 and Flanders scored a goal assisted by Gallardo at 01:25 which tied the game and made the score 2-2. There were four penalties called during the third period (three for Servite 3, one for Wolverines Varsity). By the end of the third period, Servite 3 had 4 shots on goal while Wolverines Varsity had 11 shots on goal. 

With Servite 3 being unable to answer back and regain their lead during regulation, Wolverines Varsity forced the teams to go into overtime. Servite 3 had one shot on goal during overtime which was their game-winning goal at 00:51, making the final score 3-2 in their favor. By the end of Game 14, Servite 3’s goaltender Thomas Andreff Jr saved 26 out of 28 shots while Wolverines Varsity’s goaltender, Adrian Ortega, saved 21 out of 24 shots. 

Despite having an overtime loss, the Wolverines Varsity’s comeback in the third period was commendable. Their determination to win another game would be the driving force for their four-game winning streak in Games 15-18. 

Four-Game Winning Streak (Games 15-18)

GAME 15 | Friday, January 26, 2024 | Inland Empire United 3 9, Damien 3 0 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Damien 3 at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena Rink #3 and won with a final score of 9-0.

The Wolverines Varsity maintained control and dominated Game 15, shutting out Damien 3 with a final score of 9-0. They scored 3 goals in the first period, 4 goals in the second period, and 2 goals in the third period. 

Flanders opened up the first period as he scored a goal at 09:19 which was assisted by Gallardo (1-0). Flanders would later score a powerplay goal at 06:34 which was also assisted by Gallardo (2-0). Owen would then close off the first period with an unassisted short-handed goal at 02:24 making the score 3-0. There were three penalties called during the first period (two for Damien 3, one for Wolverines Varsity) as well as 16 shots on goal for the Wolverines Varsity and 0 shots on goal for Damien 3. 

There were 4 goals that were scored during the second period. Gallardo scored the first goal of the period at 16:18 which was assisted by Flanders (4-0). The second goal was an unassisted goal by Owen at 11:13 (5-0). Pedraza scored the third goal of the second period at 09:19 which was assisted by Brooks and Tanner (6-0). The last goal scored during the second period was by Strasser, assisted by Flanders, which made the score 7-0. The Wolverines Varsity were the only ones to receive a penalty during the second period. By the end of this period, Damien 3 had 7 shots on goal while the Wolverines Varsity had 11 shots on goal. 

Pastora scored the first out of the two recorded goals in the third period at 15:45 which was assisted by Flanders and Gallardo (8-0). The last goal scored in Game 15 was by Strasser who was assisted by Flanders and made the final score 9-0. Seven penalties were called during the third period. Damien 3 received two out of seven penalties which included one 5-minute major for fighting as well as a 10-minute game misconduct for fighting. Wolverines Varsity received the remaining five penalties which included a 5-minute major for fighting and two 10-minute game misconducts. Damien 3 was unable to capitalize on their power play opportunities. Wolverines Varsity had 10 shots on goal while Damien 3 had 3 shots on goal by the end of the period. Game 15 ended with a total of 9 shots on goal for Damien 3 and 37 shots on goal for the Wolverines Varsity. 

Wolverines Varsity would continue to carry their momentum into their next matchup as they shut out the Panthers Warriors United in Game 16. 

GAME 16 | Saturday, January 27, 2024 | Inland Empire United 3 7, Panthers Warriors United 0 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Panthers Warriors United at Anaheim ICE NHL Rink and won with a final score of 7-0.

To continue their winning streak, Wolverines Varsity shut out the Panthers Warriors United after scoring 7 goals during Game 16. Wolverines Varsity scored 2 goals in the first period, 3 goals in the second period, and 2 goals in the third period against James Valenzeula, the Panther Warriors United’s goaltender. Furler held down the fort as he was in net for the Wolverines Varsity and did not let any goals slip past him. 

Brooks scored the first goal of the first period at 07:49 which was assisted by Noyes and Gallardo (1-0). Gallardo would later score the second goal of period one at 05:13, assisted by Flanders and Tanner, and made the score 2-0. Wolverines Varsity was the only team to receive a penalty during this period and had 11 shots on goal compared to Panthers Warriors United’s 8 shots on goal. 

Mineck opened up the second period with a goal that was assisted by Noyes (3-0). Duran would later score an unassisted power-play goal at 03:34 (4-0) and Strasser would close out the period with a powerplay goal, assisted by Mineck and Gallardo, at 01:57 ending the second period 5-0. Penalties were evenly split during the second period with both teams receiving two penalties each. Panthers Warriors United had 1 shot on goal while the Wolverines Varsity had 8 shots on goal by the end of the second period. 

The third period had two unassisted goals scored by Duran at 11:54 (6-0) and Gallardo at 06:34 making the final score 7-0. There were seven penalties called during the third period (four for Panthers Warriors United, three for Wolverines Varsity) which included two 10-minute game misconducts for the Panthers Warriors United and one 10-minute game misconduct for the Wolverines Varsity. Wolverines Varsity had 5 shots on goal while the Panthers Warriors United had 1 shot on goal. By the end of Game 16, Furler saved all 10 shots while Panthers Warriors United’s Valenzuela saved 17 shots. 

After having back-to-back shutouts, the Varsity Warriors would go on to dominate Capistrano United 3 in Game 17. 

GAME 17 | Friday, February 2, 2024 | Inland Empire United 3 13, Capistrano United 3 1 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Capistrano United 3 at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena Rink #4 and won with a final score of 13-1.

Wolverines Varsity completely dominated and took control of all three periods of the game as they scored 3 goals in the first period, 8 goals in the third period, and 2 goals in the third period. Adrien Ortega was in net for the Wolverines Varsity and only let 1 Capistrano United 3 goal slip past him in the second period. By the end of Game 17, Ortega faced a total of 15 shots while Shane Oneill, Capistrano United 3’s goaltender, faced 42 shots and saved 29 shots. 

Strasser scored the first goal of the first period, assisted by Gallardo and Holmes at 14:00 as well as another goal at 04:49 which was assisted by Maurer and Cuevas (2-0). Tanner would score the last goal of the first period at 03:45, assisted by Strasser and Flanders, which made the score 3-0. Wolverines Varsity was the only team to receive three penalties during this period and had 12 shots on goal compared to Panthers Warriors United’s 7 shots on goal.

Wolverines Varsity scored 8 goals during the second period. Pastora scored the first goal of this period at 13:33, assisted by Brooks and Strasser (4-0). Brooks scored the second goal which was assisted by Maurer and Cuevas at 12:48 (5-0). Strasser would score the third goal at 11:59 with an assist by Gallardo which completed his first hattrick of the 23-24 season and made the score 6-0. Flanders scored an unassisted power-play goal at 06:00 (7-0). At 05:90, Noyes scored a goal which was assisted by Owen and Holmes (8-0). Owen would then score a goal at 04:10, assisted by Noyes (9-0). Pastora scored an unassisted goal at 03:38 (10-0) and Brooks would also score an unassisted goal 18 seconds later which made the score 11-0. Capistrano United 3 was able to get on the board after they slipped a goal past Ortega and made the score 10-1 by the end of the second period. Five penalties were received during the second period (three for Capistrano United 3, two for Wolverines Varsity) which included one 10-minute game misconduct received by Capistrano United 3. There were 18 shots on goal for the Wolverines Varsity and 3 shots on goal for Capistrano United 3. 

There were 2 short-handed goals during the third period. This first goal was scored by Wolverines Varsity’s Carson Maurer, assisted by Brooks at 16:10 (12-1). This goal by Maurer recorded his first goal of the season. The second shorthanded goal was by Pastora which was assisted by Strasser and Holmes at 03:20 which made the final score 13-1. Pastora’s shorthanded goal in the third period would complete his first hat-trick of the season. Five penalties were received during the second period (two for Capistrano United 3, three for Wolverines Varsity) which included two 10-minute game misconducts (one for each team) and two 5-minute major penalties for fighting (one for each team). There were 12 shots on goal for the Wolverines Varsity and 5 shots on goal for Capistrano United 3. 

After a successful Game 17, the Wolverines Varsity would continue to push through and finish the 23-24 season strong in Game 18 against Yorba Linda Hockey Club.

GAME 18 | Saturday, February 3, 2024 | Inland Empire United 3 6, Yorba Linda Hockey Club 1 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Yorba Linda Hockey Club at KHS Ice Arena Rink #1 and won with a final score of 6-1.

Wolverines Varsity took control over all three periods with Ortega in the net and Wilbur Freker in the net for Yorba Linda Hockey Club. Ortega only let one goal slip past him at the beginning of the second period but remained solid for the rest of the game as he did not let any other goals into the back of the net. By the end of Game 18, Ortega saved 11 out of 12 shots while Yorba Linda Hockey Club’s Freker saved 40 out of 46 shots. 

Wolverines Varsity’s Owen scored a powerplay goal at 10:49, which was assisted by Noyes and made the score 1-0. Juraj Sepak scored the last goal of the first period at 08:31, assisted by Flanders and Mineck, which extended the Wolverines Varsity’s lead and made the score 2-0. Yorba Linda Hockey Club was the only team to receive a penalty during this period and had 0 shots on goal compared to Wolverines Varsity’s 17 shots on goal by the end of the first period. 

Yorba Linda Hockey Club scored the first goal of the second period, cutting Varsity Wolverine's two-goal lead to one goal and making the score 2-1. Wolverines Varsity would extend their lead after scoring two goals in the third period. The first Wolverines Varsity goal was scored by Brooks, assisted by Pastora and Cuevas, at 10:29 (3-1). The second goal was an unassisted goal by Pastora at 05:32 which made the score 4-1. There were four penalties received during the second period (one for Yorba Linda Hockey Club, three for Wolverines Varsity) which included two 10-minute misconducts (one for each team). Wolverines Varsity had 13 shots on goal while Yorba Linda Hockey Club had 7 shots on goal by the end of the second period. 

Holmes scored the last two goals of the game during the third period which made the final score 6-1. His first goal was assisted by Duran at 14:47 and his second goal was assisted by Brooks at 02:46. All three penalties in the third period were received by the Wolverines Varsity. Yorba Linda Hockey Club was unable to capitalize on their power play opportunities, remaining scoreless throughout the rest of the game after their goal at the beginning of the second period. Wolverines Varsity had 16 shots on goal while Yorba Linda Hockey Club had 5 shots on goal by the end of the third period.

Wolverines Varsity was able to end the 23-24 regular season with a four-game winning streak and ended with a season record of 15-3-0. Every loss resulted in a big comeback and that perseverance and determination will be the driving force for this team as they enter the playoffs. 

The leading scorers by the end of the regular season were Landen Gallardo (34 PTS) and Logan Strasser (24 PTS).

• Landen Gallardo, a forward on the team, has recorded: 16 goals, 18 assists, and two hat-tricks in 17 out of 18 games played during the 23-24 regular season. 

• Logan Strasser, a forward on the team, has recorded: 13 goals, 11 assists, and 1 hat-trick during the 23-24 regular season. 

When focusing on the Wolverines Varsity goalies, 

• Ethan Furler’s stats consist of 12 wins, a save percentage of 0.920, and a 1.60 GAA with 14 games, 262 shots against, and 671 minutes played by the end of the 23-24 regular season.

• Adrian Oretga’s stats consist of 3 wins, a save percentage of 0.889, and a 1.81 GAA with 6 games played, 81 shots against, and 253 minutes played by the end of the 23-24 regular season. 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) will take on Bishop Amat in the playoffs on Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 8:55 PM PST. This game will be located at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena Rink #4. 

Playoff Game Recap

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) had a relatively successful 2023-2024 playoff experience. It started with a win in the quarterfinals against Bishop Amat. Advancing to the semifinals, Wolverines Varsity faced a tough battle which resulted in an unfortunate loss against Servite 3. Although the team did not advance to the Ridge Conference Final, their efforts to make it as far as they did was praiseworthy.

Quarterfinals | Thursday, February 22, 2024 | Inland Empire United 5, Bishop Amat 1 

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Bishop Amat at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena Rink #4 and won with a final score of 5-1.

The first period started off relatively slow as no penalties were called as well with the period ending with 7 shots on goal by Bishop Amat and 11 shots on goal by Wolverines Varsity. One goal was scored by each team during the first period. The first goal was recorded by Bishop Amat at 09:09 which helped them gain the lead and momentarily made the score 1-0. Wolverines Varsity answered back at 07:14 with a goal scored by Valos Owen which was assisted by Luke Tanner and Adrian Duran. Owen’s goal would tie the game and end the first period with a score of 1-1. 

Wolverines Varsity dominated the second period as they scored three goals which were left unanswered. Preston Flanders scored the first Wolverines Varsity goal of the period at 07:19 which was a powerplay goal, assisted by Logan Strasser. Flanders’ goal broke the tie and made it a one-goal game with a score of 2-1. Benjamin Juraj Sepak scored another Wolverines Varsity goal 57 seconds later, assisted by Travis Holems and extended their lead (3-1). Kyle Noyes closed out the second period with a goal at 02:55 which was assisted by Owen and made the score 4-1. Bishop Amat was the only team that received penalties during this period (2). Wolverines Varsity’s goaltender, Ethan Furler, saved all 7 shots on goal. Bishop Amat’s goaltender, Adam Yim, saved 12 out of 15 shots on goal by the end of the second period.

Owen scored the last goal of the game during the third period at 00:54, assisted by Noyes. This goal secured the Wolverines Varsity’s first playoff game win with a final score of 5-1. Bishop Amat received one penalty during this period. Both teams recorded 8 shots on goal by the end of the third period. By the end of the game, Wolverines Varsity’s Furler saved 21 out of 22 shots while Bishop Amat’s Yim saved 29 out of 34 shots. 

After a successful and impressive quarterfinal, Wolverines Varsity advanced into the semifinals where they faced Servite 3 on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at Anaheim Ice NHL Rink. 

Semifinals | Saturday, February 24, 2024 | Servite 6,  Inland Empire United 1

Inland Empire United 3 (Wolverines Varsity) faced Servite 3 at Anaheim Ice NHL Rink Rink and lost with a final score of 6-1.

Wolverines Varsity faced a tough battle against Servite 3 in their second matchup of the 23-24 playoffs despite having more shots on goal compared to their opponent. Ethan Furler was in net for the Wolverines Varsity while Thomas Andreeff Jr. was in net for Servite 3. Wolverines Varsity only scored 1 goal during the first period and had a total of 35 shots on goal by the end of the game compared to Servite 3’s 6 goals and 20 shots on goal. 

Servite 3 scored the first goal at 14:45 which made the score 1-0 in their favor until Wolverines Varsity’s Benjamin Juraj Sepak scored a goal at 05:22 which was assisted by Aiden Pedraza and tied the game 1-1. This tie was short lived as Servite 3 scored 5 more goals (1 goal in the first period, 4 goals in the second period). Wolverines Varsity was unable to answer back and remained scoreless during the last two periods of the game. 

In regards to penalties, there were a total of three penalties called during the first period. Two roughting penalties were called; the first was called on Wolverines Varsity at 06:10 and the second was called on Sertvie 3 at 05:26. The last penalty was called on Servite 3 at 01:37 for tripping. The second period had a total of four penalties. Three out of the four penalties were called on Wolverines Varsity. One out of three penalties in the second period was called on Servite 3. Tempered flared during the third period as there were multiple roughing and unsportsmanlike conducts called on both teams. One of the penalties during the third period resulted in a Servite 3 power play goal at 03:30 which contributed to Servite 3’s total of 6 goals. 

By the end of this game, Wolverines Varsity had a record of 1-1-0. Servite 3 had a 2-0-0 record and advanced to the Ridge Conference Final. Although the Wolverines Varsity did not advance to the Ridge Conference Final, their overall efforts in the 2023-2024 regular season and playoffs were exceptional.