Notables
-First loss when leading after two periods this season
-Pionk has five points in the last three games and reaches 50 career points
-Branby had 26 saves in first collegiate start
-Hansen with his first goal and assist of the season
DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica men's hockey team never trailed Saturday until the final two minutes of the contest as Aurora University (Ill.) scored four goals in the third period to down the Saints 5-3 at Mars Lakeview Arena.
How It Happened
The Saints jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period thanks to a pair of goals just 34 seconds apart.
Michael Talbot (Anoka, Minn./Anoka HS (Minot-NAHL)) got the first goal with
Jon Hansen (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Marshall (Minnesota Mullets-USPHL)) and
Dustin Cordeiro (Kitchener, Ontario/Elliot Lake Secondary School (Cochrane-NOJHL)) assisting.
Bradley Golant (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South HS (Hearst-NOJHL)) added the second goal with
Karl Wright (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (Connecticut Nighthawks-USPHL)) and
Nate Pionk (Hermantown, Minn./Hermantown HS (Minot-NAHL)) on the assists.
The Spartans (11-5-3, 7-4-3 NCHA) cut the margin in half in the second period, just four minutes in. Aurora then would have a five-minute power-play thanks to a major penalty on the Saints, but CSS would kill-off the whole major and the score remained 2-1 CSS heading into the third.
Aurora opened the third period like they did the second with a goal in the first four minutes to tie the game at 2-2. St. Scholastica regained the lead less than three minutes later with Hansen scoring on the power-play to make it 3-2. Pionk had his second assist of the contest.
CSS maintained its lead until the Spartans tied it up with 3:36 remaining. Aurora then took its first lead of the game two minutes later to go up 4-3. After the goal the Saints pulled the goaltender in the final minute and the Spartans added an empty netter to make the final 5-3.
Goaltending
Freshman
Jack Branby (St. Paul, Minn./Highland Park HS (Winnipeg Blues-MJHL)) got his first collegiate start between the pipes and made 26 saves. Josh Boyko had 27 saves for the Spartans.
Up Next
The Saints (5-12-1, 3-10-1 NCHA) will travel to Illinois next weekend to face Lake Forest College (Ill.) for a two-game series. Action begins Friday at 6 p.m.
