DULUTH, Minn. — The St. Scholastica men's hockey fell against St. Olaf, 5-2, in a Friday evening MIAC matchup.
After the Saints generated early offensive pressure in the first minutes of the game, the Oles struck first, opening the scoring at 9:14. St. Olaf quickly added another goal, but the Saints responded just seconds later when
Wyatt Wurst (Edina, MN/Edina HS) found the back of the net, assisted by
Hunter Hanson (Blaine, MN/Blaine HS) and
Kieran Chung (Nottingham, Great Britain/). The Oles closed the period by tallying another goal to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.
St. Olaf extended their advantage by scoring just minutes into the second period. The Saints answered late in the frame on a power-play goal from
Gavin Gunderson (Roseau, MN/Roseau HS) with assists from Hanson and
Tristan Shewchuk (Saskatoon, SK, Canada/St. Joseph HS), sending the Saints into the final period with a two goal deficit.
The Saints pushed for a comeback in the third, creating multiple scoring chances, but St. Olaf's defense held firm. The Oles added an empty-net goal as time expired to secure the 5-2 victory.
Eino Rissanen (Sonvillier, Switzerland/Lycée Blaise-Cendrars) made 36 saves in goal for the Saints, while Gunderson led the Saints offensively with five shots on net.
The Saints (4-17-1, 1-11-1 MIAC) will head to Northfield looking to split the series with the Oles. Puck drop is scheduled for 5 p.m. at St. Olaf Ice Arena.
