Box Score Box Score
RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The 15th-ranked St. Scholastica hockey team trailed 4-1 at the beginning of the third period, cut the lead to 4-3 in the span of 41 seconds, but the University of Wisconsin-River Falls added two more goals to defeat the Saints by a score of 6-3 in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) opener tonight at Hunt Arena.
The Saints fall to 3-2-1 overall and to 0-1-0 in the NCHA. The Falcons win their first game of the season and have a record of 1-3-1. CSS lost by an identical score to the Falcons in the first meeting last season.
On St. Scholastica's second power-play of the night, #Joey Martini# (Sr.-Calgary, Alta.) gave the Saints a 1-0 lead halfway through the first period. #AJ Tucker# (Sr.-Fort Frances, Ont.) had the assist. The Falcons tied it up less than two minutes later with a Derek Hansberry unassisted goal.
The second period belonged to River Falls. The Falcons out-shot the Saints 21-7 in the period. The Falcons' first goal came five minutes in on the power-play. Hansberry added his second goal of the evening at the 9:31-mark to make the score 3-1. The Falcons added another goal 14 seconds later to make the score 4-1 at the second intermission.
CSS came out strong in the third period and cut the lead to 4-2 four minutes into the period when #Aaron Spotts# (Jr.-Spokane, Wash.) scored his first goal of the season. #Carter Davis# (Fr.-Moose Jaw, Sask.) had the assist. Just 41 seconds later, #Jeremy Dawes# (Fr.-Winnipeg, Man.) fired a one-timer past the goaltender to cut the River Falls lead to 4-3. Joey Martini (Calgary, Alberta/Canmore (AJHL)) had the assist.
Unfortunately for the Saints, the Falcons scored with five minutes left in the period to make it 5-3. River Falls then added an empty net goal with 1:13 remaining to make the final score 6-3.
The Saints out-shot the Falcons 18-9 in the third period. The Falcons had a 38-37 shot advantage for the game. Both teams were 1-for-4 on the power-play and there were 17 penalties combined. #Steve Bounds# (Sr.-Airdrie, Alta.) had 32 saves for the Saints. Stephen Ritter had 34 saves for the Falcons.
The Saints head down to Menomonie, Wis. tomorrow night where they will take on the 10th ranked University of Wisconsin-Stout. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.
