Box Score Box Score
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The 15th-ranked St. Scholastica hockey team took down tenth-ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire tonight by a score of 5-1 at the Hobbs Ice Center.
The Saints improve to 8-3-1 overall and 3-2-0 in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA). The Blugolds fall to 7-3-0 and 2-3-0 in the conference. The Saints are now tied with St. Norbert College and University of Wisconsin-Stout for second place in the NCHA. CSS avenged a 4-1 loss in the season opener at Eau Claire.
The Saints got the scoring started with a little over seven minutes left in the first period when #Rob Rodgers# (Jr.-Salmon Arm, B.C.) scored his first goal of the season to make it 1-0. #Matt Stengl# (Sr.-East Grand Forks, Minn.) and #Trevor Geiger# (Sr.-Salmon Arm, B.C.) had the assists. With 3:53 left in the opening period, #Jordan Chong# (Jr.-North Vancouver, B.C.) made the score 2-0 CSS with an even-handed goal. It was Geiger and Stangel again with the assists. The Blugolds out-shot the Saints 12-10 in the first period and would out-shoot them in each of the last two periods.
After two assists in the opening 20 minutes, Matt Stengl (East Grand Forks, Minn./Selkirk (MJHL)) added his second goal of the season just two minutes into the second period to make it 3-0 Saints. Chong and Geiger had the assists. #Joey Martini# (Sr.-Calgary, Alta.) scored a power-play goal with five minutes left in the period to extend it to 4-0. #AJ Tucker# (Sr.-Fort Frances, Ont.) and #Carter Davis# (Fr.-Moose Jaw, Sask.) assisted. #Jeremy Dawes# (Fr.-Winnipeg, Man.) added the fifth-and-final goal for the Saints with 1:12 remaining in the second period. Tucker and Martini had the assists.
That second assist by Tucker was his 100th career point at CSS. He now just needs 12 points to get into the top 15 in career points, something of which hasn't been done since the 1980s.
The Blugolds would get a goal in the third period, but that is all CSS goaltender #Steve Bounds# (Sr.-Airdrie, Alta.) would allow as he stopped 37 shots on the night in a 5-1 St. Scholastica victory. The win gives the Saints a 3-1-1 record against ranked opponents this season and their second consecutive win against a ranked-foe.
There were 13 penalties in the game with 11 coming in the third period. The Blugolds out-shot the Saints 38-32. Mike Devoney had the loss for the Blugolds.
The Saints will head to the middle of Wisconsin tomorrow for a contest against ninth-ranked University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. at Willett Arena.
