News Photo by Leslianne Johns Gavin Winterstein tries to steal the puck from a Capital City player on Saturday in Alpena. The Wildcats won in a shootout, 3-2.

ALPENA — The Alpena High School hockey team bounced back from Friday’s loss with a 3-2 shootout victory against Capital City in their final game of the Blue Line Showcase on Saturday.

The Wildcats came out strong in the first period, with Gavin Winterstein finding the back of the net at the 7:31 mark to give Alpena an early lead.

Lucas Weir doubled the advantage at 4:56, scoring off assists from Joseph Lacross and Ethan Walker.

The Wildcats held a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

Capital City responded in the second period, scoring twice to even the game. They found the net at 7:05 and again with just 39 seconds left in the period, tying the score at 2-2 heading into the final frame.

The third period showcased disciplined defensive efforts from both sides, with neither team managing to break the deadlock.

After a scoreless overtime, the game was decided in a shootout.

In the shootout, both teams missed their first five attempts before Alpena’s Lucas Weir delivered the decisive goal.

Winterstein and Preston Schuldt also participated in the shootout for Alpena, while the Wildcats’ defense and goaltending held Capital City scoreless in all attempts to secure the victory.

Head coach Ben Henry praised Weir’s contributions, saying, “No matter where we are or who we play, Weir will bring his game. He plays hard, simple, and goes to those hard areas on the ice. He’s a player that all teams need, and we are lucky to have him. He brings it each night with great leadership qualities.”

Henry also highlighted the team’s overall improvements from their previous game, crediting their speed and team play.

“We played more as a team and let the puck do the work,” he said. “We were fast and got a lot of pucks to the net. We used our speed on the outside of the ice way more, and we have a lot of speed, which makes it hard for teams to handle us.”

The Wildcats’ ability to create scoring chances and adapt to their opponents was evident, but Henry noted room for improvement in getting to the net and capitalizing on rebounds.

“We need to get more shots from better areas and also have our guys get to the net for rebounds,” Henry said. “Just going back to being simple–getting pucks in low and going to get those pucks back again.”

The Wildcats play next at Sparta on Friday.