Notables
-Final non-conference game of the season for CSS
-CSS goes 5-0 vs. Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC)
-First-time in program history with a perfect winning percentage vs. the MIAC
-Golka scores a goal for the third straight game
-Radford and Star have three-point nights
BLAINE, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica men's hockey team won its sixth straight game and has not lost in its last seven games following a 5-1 non-conference victory over Bethel University on Tuesday.
The Action
The Royals (1-14) struck first for only the second time this season on an even-strength goal less than five minutes into the game.
The Saints responded on a power-play opportunity around the midway mark of the period.
Brett Radford (Campbell River, British Columbia/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame (Canmore-AJHL)) found the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1.
Kyle Star (Langley, British, Columbia/Brookswood (Trail Smoke-BCHL)) and
Mark Whiteley (Surrey, British Columbia/Holy Cross HS (Marian University)) were credited with the assists.
CSS took the lead before the end of the period when Radford scored again off a rebound with a minute remaining. It was
Carson Rose (Surrey, British Columbia/Elgin Park Secondary (Weyburn-SJHL)) and
Nolan Ross (Fort Frances, Ontario/Fort Frances HS (Fort Frances-SIJHL)) with the assists.
After the Saints killed a Bethel power-play in the second period,
Cole Golka (Ardrossan, Alberta/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame (Dryden Ice Dogs-SIJHL)) extended the St. Scholastica lead to 3-1. Star had his second assist of the evening and
Nate Pionk (Hermantown, Minn./Hermantown HS (Minot-NAHL)) had the other assist.
CSS then had to kill a 5-on-3 opportunity for the Royals from the end of the second period to the start of the third period. Bethel would not get a single shot on the power-plays and the Saints would take control minutes later when
Chase Springman (Elk River, Minn./Elk River HS (Minot-NAHL)) recorded his first collegiate goal to make it 4-1. Whiteley added his second assist of the night.
Rose had the final tally of the evening on the power-play with 10 minutes remaining to make the final score 5-1. Star registered his third assist and Radford his third point on the goal.
Goaltending
Forbes Ploszaj (Gilbert, Arizona/Gilbert HS (Aberdeen-NAHL)) had 20 saves to earn his third victory of the season. Joe Sheppard had 27 saves in the loss for the Royals.
Up Next
The Saints (9-5-1) will be in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) action the rest of the regular season and that begins this weekend with home games against Concordia University Wisconsin on Friday and the Milwaukee School of Engineering on Saturday.
