Box Score Box Score
DULUTH, Minn. –The fourth-ranked St. Scholastica men's hockey team did what they had to do and finished off a sweep of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a 2-0 victory tonight at Mars Lakeview Arena.
The Saints now move on to face the hottest team in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA), the University of Wisconsin-Stout. The Blue Devils won both games over the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in their first round series and are now unbeaten in their last 12 games. CSS was 1-0-1 against Stout during the regular season.
St. Scholastica got the scoring started early in the first period when #Neil Sauter# (
Jr.-Superior, Wis.) drilled a slap shot into the back of the net for his first goal of the season 4:25 into the contest to make it 1-0. #Jordan Baird# (
Jr.-Port McNeill, B.C.) and #Joey Martini# (
Sr.-Calgary, Alta.) had the assists. That would be the score at the first intermission with River Falls holding an 11-7 shots advantage in the opening period.
There would be no scoring in the second period, but the Falcons did come close as Derek Hansberry hit the post. The Saints held a slight edge in shots, 14-13, in the period.
CSS then gave themselves some breathing room two minutes into the third period as #Trevor Geiger# (
Sr.-Salmon Arm, B.C.) struck a shot that hit the post, but then #Jordan Chong# (
Jr.-North Vancouver, B.C.) got the rebound and put the puck in the net before it got dislodged to make the score 2-0. #Aaron Spotts# (
Jr.-Spokane, Wash.) also assisted on the goal along with Geiger.
From there it was all #Steve Bounds# (
Sr.-Airdrie, Alta.) as he stopped 38 shots, including 14 in the final period to extend his school record for shutouts in a season (6) and a career (8) for a second straight night. The Saints prevailed 2-0.
The Falcons held a 38-35 shot advantage for the game. There were a total of 17 penalties called tonight, but neither squad could capitalize on the power-play, going a combined 0-for-13.
The Saints now have an overall record of 20-5-2. The 20 wins are the fourth-most in program history and are the most since the team won 21 games during the 1978-79 season.
Next Saturday, it will be St. Scholastica and UW-Stout at Dunn County Ice Arena in the NCHA Peter's Cup Semifinals. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. All of the action can be heard on ESPN Radio 560-WEBC.
