Box score

In a game the Saints wanted badly to help move themselves up the NCHA standings, the visitors from UW-Eau Claire dealt the home team a 4-2 loss on Friday night at Mars Lakeview Arena, dropping St. Scholastica's conference mark to 1-3-1 and their overall record to 3-6-2.

The win moves the Blugolds to 2-3-0 in the NCHA and 5-6-0 overall.

Each team scored a power play goal for their first mark on the scoreboard, but it was a testament to the penalty kill units of both squads that no other goal was scored with extra attackers on the ice. The Saints were whistled for 11 penalties that resulted in seven power play opportunities for the Blugolds, while Eau Claire hit the penalty box eight times with St. Scholastica getting five opportunities in the game.

Tied 1-1 after the second period, Eau Claire scored the first two goals of the third stanza to take what they thought was a safe 3-1 lead. The Saints, who had been averaging 34 shots per game had totaled only 12 after two periods of action.

However, the Saints have had a history of scoring in bunches in the third period this season -- they scored three shorthanded goals in the third period of an earlier loss to Eau Claire -- and when Jordan Baird (Port McNeill, British Columbia/Victoria (BCHL)) pulled the Saints to within one with 13:09 to play, things began to look better for the Saints.

The home team simply couldn't find the shots over the remaining six minutes, eventually having to pull goalie Steve bounds for an extra attacker with 39 seconds to play. Unfortunately Eau Claire found a way to the empty net and scored an insurance goal with 23 seconds remaining to dash the comeback hopes of the Saints.

St. Scholastica's first goal, coming on the power play in the second period, came from red-hot Jordan Chong (North Vancouver, British Columbia/Dryden (SIJHL)) who didn't register a goal for the first eight games of the season but in the past three has scored four of the team's six goals. He also picked up an assist on the late score by Baird.

A.J. Tucker assisted on both St. Scholastica goals, and Rob Rodgers (Salmon Arm, British Columbia/Salmon Arm (BCHL)) added an assist on the Chong score.

Bounds stopped 15 of the 19 shots he faced in taking the loss while his counterpart from Eau Claire, Tyler Brigl, had 15 saves on 17 shots for the win.