St. Norbert Picks Up Hard-Fought Win at UW-Stevens Point

From Sports Information Director, November 12, 2010 | Men's Hockey
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

STEVENS POINT - St. Norbert College picked up a big early-season win with a 3-2 win over rival UW-Stevens Point in a hotly contested Northern Collegiate Hockey Association game at K.B. Willett Arena.

St. Norbert, ranked third in the USCHO.com Division III Poll, improved to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the NCHA. The Pointers, ranked tenth, dropped to 4-2 and 2-1. The teams will complete their two-game series at 7 p.m. Saturday.

In a game that featured just 41 total shots on goal - 21 by Stevens Point - St. Norbert cashed in on a power-play opportunity in the second period for the difference in the game.

The Pointers were whistled for two minor penalties about midway through the second period. One second after the first penalty expired, Nick Tabisz scored off an assist from Kyle Stroh to give St. Norbert a 2-1 lead at 13 minutes 13 seconds of the second period. Johan Ryd then scored his third goal of the year just 11 seconds later for a 3-1 advantage.

Stevens Point's Nick Polaski scored at 4:17 of the third period to cut the Pointers' deficit to 3-2, but the hosts could not get the equalizer despite just over one minute of extra attacker time.

Brandon Longley opened the game's scoring with his team-high fifth goal of the year 9:31 into the game. Stevens Point's Kyle Politz tied the game on a power-play goal at 5:53 of the second period.

Both goaltenders were on the top of their game, with St. Norbert's B.J. O'Brien making 19 saves and Stevens Point's Nick Graves stopping 17 shots. St. Norbert was 1-for-4 on the power play while the Pointers were 1-for-3.