Box Score
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The St. Scholastica men's hockey team won its second straight game on Saturday afternoon, scoring four first period goals to edge the Saint John's University Johnnies by a 4-3 final at the National Hockey Center.
The Saints have now evened their season record at 2-2-0 overall, while they drop the Johnnies to 0-4-0 on the young season.
Senior #Riley Riddell# got the Saints on the board first with a short-handed tally shortly after the 13-minute mark in the first. #Paul Marcoux# and #Austin Brown# had the assists just seconds before the penalty was to expire.
The Saints went on the powerplay just 10 seconds after Riddell's goal, and the Saints made the most of their man-advantage. #Alex Valenti# scored his first of the year at the 15-minute mark of the period with an assist from #Eric Kraft#.
CSS continued to pepper Johnnies goaltender Adam Anderson with shots, scoring a third goal less than three minutes after the first, this time with both teams at full strength. #Garet Chumley# netted his first of the season thanks to assists from #Stephane Phaneuf# and #Neil Sauter#.
The Johnnies switched to goaltender Tony Civello after the third Saints goal, but they were not completed with their first-period scoring. In the closing seconds of the period and on the powerplay, the Saints netted a fourth goal in the span of seven minutes as #Nate Taurence# scored with assists from #Carter Davis# and Valenti.
After the first period, the Saints led 4-0 and out-shot the Johnnies 14-7, but Saint John's made a game of it in the second frame.
The Johnnies netted a powerplay tally just 17 seconds into their man-advantage at 4:08 in the second period as Matt Palmiscno scored, and they came back just 27 seconds later when Pat McClure scored an even-strength tally to cut the Saints lead to 4-2.
#Patrick Sullivan# relieved starting goaltender #Brennan Poderzay# for the Saints five minutes into the second frame after a roughing the goaltender penalty was assessed to the Johnnies. Poderzay had allowed just the two goals and made eight saves.
The Johnnies were able to net one goal after the change as Mike Wallgren scored at the 8:08 mark in the second, but Sullivan shut the Johnnies down for the final 32 minutes, making 17 saves in the process to secure the victory for Poderzay and the Saints.
Civello made 19 saves after relieving Anderson in the first. Despite a quiet third period scoring, the teams combined for 20 shots in the third. Overall, CSS out-shot SJU 31-28.
St. Scholastica finished two-for-six on the powerplay while Saint John's finished one-for-three. The Saints took three penalties for six minutes and the Johnnies six for twelve.
The Saints return to the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) action next weekend when they head to UW-Stout. Both games can be heard live on ESPN Radio 560-WEBC with Steve Jezierski on the call.
