Box Score Box Score

DULUTH, Minn. – #Jordan Baird# (Sr.-Port McNeill, B.C.) scored with 2:12 seconds left in overtime to give the eighth-ranked St. Scholastica hockey team a 4-3 win this evening over Salem State College (Mass.) in 2009 Thanksgiving Classic at Mars Lakeview Arena.

This was the third straight overtime game played by the Saints, but their first overtime victory of the season. The Saints won by the exact same score in overtime in this tournament last year over Lawrence when it was played at St. Norbert. The Saints then proceeded to rattle off eight straight wins.

CSS improves to 4-1-2 overall, while the Vikings suffer their first loss of the season and fall to 3-1-0. This was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Salem State struck first with less than four minutes left in the opening period when Damen Nisula scored on the power-play. The Saints tied the contest with 18 seconds left in the first period with a power-play goal of their own from #Austin Brown# (So.-Lathrup Village, Mich.), his second of the season. #Jeff Gagnon# (Sr.-Quesnel, B.C.) and #Carter Davis# (So.-Moose Jaw, Sask.) had the assists. The Vikings out-shot the Saints 13-8 in the first period.

St. Scholastica took its first lead of the night six minutes into the second period with a goal from #Tyler Miller# (Fr.-Fort Frances, Ont.). #Jeremy Dawes# (So.-Winnipeg, Man.) assisted the goal. The Saints extended the lead to 3-1 with 11 minutes left in the second period when Carter Davis (Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan/Central Collegiate (Waywayseecappo-MJHL) ) netted his first of the season. Jordan Baird (Port McNeill, British Columbia/Victoria (BCHL)) and Jeff Gagnon (Quesnel, British Columbia/Victoria (BCHL)) assisted. Just 1:17 seconds later, Salem State's Nick Lampson cut the margin to 3-2 with a power-play tally.

The score remained 3-2 into the third period, until Damen Nisula struck again, doing it all by himself to tie it at 3-3 with 12 minutes left in regulation. CSS out-shot the Vikings 11-3 in the third period, but the contest went to overtime.

In the extra session, the Vikings lost the puck in their zone and Jeff Gagnon (Quesnel, British Columbia/Victoria (BCHL)) picked it up centered to Jordan Baird (Port McNeill, British Columbia/Victoria (BCHL)), who fired a shot that snuck inside the right post to give St. Scholastica a 4-3 victory. That was Gagnon's third assist of the night and Baird's first goal of the season.

CSS out-shot Salem State 39-25 in the game. #Zach Kleiman# (Sr.-Ottawa, Ont.) had 22 saves to earn the win for the Saints, while James LaCour had 35 saves in the loss for the Vikings. Both teams committed four penalties with a total three power-play goals.

The Saints will host Lawrence University tomorrow night at Mars Lakeview Arena. Lawrence fell to No. 1-ranked St. Norbert College 2-1 in the first game today. The puck will drop at 7:05 p.m. and will be aired live on the My 9 television network. It can also be seen live, courtesy of the iFan Sports Network, at csssaints.com.