Notables
-F. Ledenkov had four points in the series
-First MIAC shootout for CSS
-CSS holds SJU to 0-for-10 on the power-play in the series
DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – In a game that featured five ties and three lead changes, the St. Scholastica men's hockey team played Saint John's University to a 5-5 draw Friday night in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play at Mars Lakeview Arena. The Saints went on to win the shootout 1-0 to earn the extra conference point.
How it Happened
Like Thursday night's series opener, the Johnnies (9-5-2, 5-2-1 MIAC) got the board early scoring less than four minutes into the game. The Saints responded four minutes later on a
Filimon Ledenkov (Polotsk, Belarus/Ostroshitsko-Gorodokskaya (New York Aviators-USPHL)) goal.
Tyler Hinterser (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville HS (Brookings-NAHL)) and
Arkhip Ledenkov (Polotsk, Belarus/Ostroshitsko-Gorodokskaya (New York Aviators-USPHL)) had the assists. CSS took a 2-1 lead with five minutes remaining in the opening period on a
Brodie Girod (Clavet, Saskatchewan/Clavet HS (Nipawin-SJHL)) power-play goal.
Jacob Seitz (Mountain Iron, Minn./Virginia HS (Minnesota Magicians-NAHL)) had the assist.
It remained 2-1 Saints until Saint John's scored a pair of goals 2:32 apart to make it 3-2 with 5:50 left in the second period. St. Scholastica answered with back-to-back goals of its own just 22 seconds apart as
Karl Wright (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (Connecticut Nighthawks-USPHL)) tied the game and then
Michael Talbot (Anoka, Minn./Anoka HS (Minot-NAHL)) gave CSS a 4-3 lead with 1:16 left in the period.
Danylo Sukhonos (Kharkiv, Ukraine/Brovary Professional Lyceum (New York Aviators-USPHL)) had the assist on the Talbot goal.
The Johnnies tied the game again with nine minutes left in regulation. The Saints took the lead right back 1:11 later as F. Ledenkov netted his second of the night to make it 5-4. However, the Johnnies tied it for a fifth time with 4:24 remaining to make it 5-5. The game would end after 60 minutes and go to overtime.
St. Scholastica controlled much of the puck possession in the three-on-three overtime, however Saint John's would strike the pipe early on. A. Ledenkov had a great chance in the final 30 seconds, but was denied and the result ended up being 5-5.
Shootout
To determine who would get the extra MIAC point, the teams went to best-of-three shootout. Neither team had competed in a MIAC shootout this season.
Both teams failed to convert their first attempt. After the Johnnies failed to score once again on their second attempt, A. Ledenkov found the net for the Saints. That meant, if
Jack Branby (St. Paul, Minn./Highland Park HS (Winnipeg Blues-MJHL)) stopped the next Saint John's attempt, CSS would take the point and he did just that as the Saints gained the extra MIAC point with the 1-0 shootout win.
Goaltending
Branby finished with 32 saves, while Mac Berglove had 33 saves for Saint John's
Up Next
The Saints (6-6-3, 3-4-2 MIAC) hit the road next weekend for a MIAC series at Concordia College-Moorhead. The series begins Friday with a 7 p.m. puck drop.
