RIVER FALLS, Wis. – Evan Pahos (Parker, CO/) scored twice, including the tying goal with 1:04 remaining in regulation, but the St. Scholastica men's hockey team dropped a 5-4 overtime decision at UW-River Falls in its season opener Saturday night.
Pahos finished with two goals and an assist, while Daniel Kroon (Calgary, Canada/) and Kieran Chung (Nottingham, Great Britain/) each contributed a goal and an assist. The Saints erased two third-period deficits before Keenan Ingram's second goal of the night ended the game at 2:26 of overtime.
St. Scholastica struck first at 6:26 of the opening period when Kroon scored off assists from Chung and Pahos. The Saints held a 12-5 advantage in shots on goal in the period, but Logan Nagle answered at 12:24 to send the teams into the first intermission tied 1-1.
A late first-period penalty gave St. Scholastica a power play to begin the second, and Pahos capitalized just 1:03 into the period. Wyatt Wurst (Edina, MN/Edina HS) and Shyler McGahey (Ridgeway, Ontario (CA)/Greater Fort Erie Secondary School) assisted on the goal, putting the Saints back in front.
Eino Rissanen (Sonvillier, Switzerland/Lycée Blaise-Cendrars) stopped all 10 shots he faced in the second period as St. Scholastica carried a 2-1 lead into the final frame.
UW-River Falls responded with two goals in the opening three minutes of the third. Ingram tied the game at 1:43, and Trace Day gave the Falcons their first lead at 2:48.
The Saints answered just 36 seconds later when Chung scored off assists from Cael Knutson (Bemidji, MN/Bemidji High School) and Kroon to make it 3-3. Gavin Middendorf restored the Falcons' advantage at 9:42, setting up another late push by St. Scholastica.
With regulation winding down, Pahos delivered his second goal at 18:56, with Tyric Kennett (Red Lake Falls, MN/Lafayette HS) and Jan Jyvasjarvi (Espoo, Finland/) earning the assists. The equalizer sent the game to overtime, where the Saints began with a power play carried over from a late slashing penalty.
UW-River Falls killed off the remaining penalty time before Ingram scored the winner off assists from Ben Portner and Hunter Jones.
St. Scholastica finished with a 36-29 advantage in shots on goal and won 35 of 67 faceoffs. Kennett led the Saints with six shots, while Jyvasjarvi won 10 faceoffs.
Rissanen made 24 saves, and UW-River Falls goalkeeper Chris Quizi finished with 32. The Saints went 1-for-3 on the power play and killed all three of the Falcons' opportunities.
