Duluth, MN - The Saints Scholastica men's hockey team took on the Ole's of St. Olaf tonight in their second game of the weekend in search of a win. Tristan Shewchuk (Saskatoon, SK, Canada/St. Joseph HS) responded in the first period to tie the game 1-1 to cancel out the Ole's first goal. However, it was not enough as the Ole's scored a goal in the second and third period as the Saints fell 3-1.
How it Happened
1st Period
Matej Palfy (Kosice, Slovakia/Gymnasium Trebisovska) wasted no time getting the game started, firing the first shot on goal just a minute into the action. The Saints immediately applied pressure, with Tristan Shewchuk (Saskatoon, SK, Canada/St. Joseph HS) and Jacob Seitz (Mountain Iron, Minn./Virginia HS) both registering their initial shots of the night, but neither could find the back of the net.
The Ole's quickly responded, forcing the Saints to weather an intense offensive attack. It wasn't until after the midway point that the Saints managed to get another shot on goal. At 9:53, the Ole's capitalized on their sustained pressure, taking a 1-0 lead.
The Saints didn't back down, though, as sophomore Isaac Suppin (Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada/George Elliot Secondary) and Wyatt Wurst (Edina, MN) both had their shots saved in quick succession. A minute later, at 14:52, Shewchuk blasted a slapshot that the Ole's goaltender had no chance of stopping, knotting the score at 1-1. Shewchuk was assisted by Nathan Adrian (Roseau, Minn./Roseau HS) and Seitz.
With both teams hungry for a lead, they exchanged chances in the final minutes of the period but couldn't capitalize. The first period ended in a 1-1 draw, setting the stage for an intense battle in the second period. Both teams were also in an 8-8 deadlock with shots on target.
2nd Period
The second period kicked off with the Ole's quickly regaining the lead, scoring just 56 seconds in to make it 2-1.
The Saints responded a few minutes later, finding their offensive rhythm. Hunter Hanson (Blaine, Minn./Blaine HS) and Gavin Gunderson (Roseau, Minn) each had chances with back-to-back shots, but both were turned aside.
At 5:28, the Saints were given a power play opportunity, but Nick Lanigan's (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) shot was denied off the line by the Ole's goaltender. Just a minute later, Shewchuk had another power play chance to add to his tally, but once again was denied.
Around the seventh minute mark, the Saints launched a flurry of offensive pressure, with shots from Hanson, Gunderson, and Braden Panzer (Grand Forks, ND), but they couldn't break through and equalize.
On the other end, Saints goalie Eino Rissanen (Sonvillier, Switzerland/Lycée Blaise-Cendrars) was solid in net, standing tall against several Ole's attempts to extend their lead. Adrian and Shewchuk had another crack at it on a power play, followed by a double chance from Gunderson, but still couldn't find a way to beat the Ole's goalie.
The period concluded with the Ole's holding a 2-1 lead, despite the Saints outshooting them 12-5.
3rd Period
The final period of this hard-fought contest began with a deep shot from Palfy, followed by a chance from Seitz, but neither found the back of the net.
Rissanen once again stood tall, fending off several Ole's attacks to keep the game within reach. At the other end, Shewchuk tried to respond but couldn't find a way to break through.
At 7:19, the Ole's extended their lead to 3-1, capitalizing on a rebound after Rissanen made an initial save on one of two quick shots from the Ole's goalscorer.
Midway through the third, the Saints faced a daunting 3v5 disadvantage after two hooking penalties. However, Rissanen was up to the challenge, making six crucial saves, and with the help of the defense, the Saints managed to kill off the penalties and keep the deficit at two.
With just under three minutes remaining, the Saints pulled Rissanen in hopes of a late-game comeback with the extra attacker. Unfortunately, it was too late, as the Ole's sealed the 3-1 victory.
Up Next - The Saints men's hockey team (11-11-1, 6-8-0 MIAC) will rival the Gusties of Gustavus Adolphus College on Friday, February 14 here at the Mars Lakeview Arena in Duluth. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
