WENTZVILLE • One week before Christmas, the Timberland hockey team was stuck at 3-6-1 and neither the offense or defense was in gear.
Things have changed dramatically in the last three weeks.
Friday night, the Wolves defeated crosstown rival Holt 6-4 at Lindenwood Ice Arena for their sixth win in the last seven games. Earlier this season, Holt defeated Timberland by five goals.
The victory improved Timberland to 9-7-1. Holt slipped to 8-10.
"We have come out and worked hard to come together as a team, thanks to coach (Kevin Fitzpatrick)," said Timberland forward Brandon Schrader, who had a hat trick Friday. "Tonight, we just tried to stay in our game while we took them out of theirs. I don't think they were ready for what be brought, I honestly don't."
Holt scored the game's first goal when the Indians' top offensive duo of Cory Kettler and Austin Flynn combined for a goal by Flynn with 1 minute, 23 seconds left in the first period.
From there, the Timberland onslaught -- which included five consecutive goals -- began.
Timberland's Adam Stotts tied the game 1:15 into the second period. The goal came just five seconds into a power play.
"We've come together as a group, and that's the important thing," Fitzpatrick said. "Our best players are stepping up and we are (getting different outcomes). At the beginning of the year, we had a lot of young guys. It took us a while to gel. Now, they are coming together."
Trenton Matteson made it 2-1 with 10:54 left in the second period. Schrader and Matteson padded goals to give Timberland a 4-1 lead after two periods.
"We just didn't expect this at all," Kettler said. "We were missing some key players, but we just didn't play how we should have."
Timberland padded its lead early in the third period when Schrader scored his second goal.
A funny thing happened on the way to the runaway win, though: Holt made a game of it.
Flynn scored his second, third, and fourth goals as Holt closed to 5-4 with 3:16 to play.
"I had dark hair when this game started," joked the gray-haired Fitzpatrick. "They've got some great players over there, but I think it really shows how hard these kids have worked to improve and come together as a team with the way they held on and earned the win."
The game was ultimately decided in the final 90 seconds as Holt took an ill-advised penalty, and Schrader made the Indians pay by scoring an insurance goal on the resulting power play.
"I got the first one tonight, and I just knew I wanted to get more, it excites me and gets the adrenaline flowing," Schrader said. "I just want to explode more and help this team keep winning."
