Big Third Period Lifts Green Knights to Road Sweep of UW-Stevens Point

From Sports Information Director, November 13, 2010 | Men's Hockey
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

STEVENS POINT - St. Norbert College outshot UW-Stevens Point 17-4 in the decisive third period as the Green Knights copped a series sweep of UW-Stevens Point with a 2-0 win at Willett Arena.

The Green Knights, ranked third in the USCHO.com Division III Poll, improved to 5-1 overall and 4-0 in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association. Stevens Poitn dropped to 4-3, 2-2.

Stevens Point outshot St. Norbert 21-9 in the first two periods before the Green Knights responded in the final 20 minutes. St. Norbert broke through with 6 minutes 34 seconds left to play when Johan Ryd scored his fourth goal of the year - and his third game-winner of the season. That marker would be all St. Norbert would need, but Brandon Longley's empty netter with 20 seconds left put it away. Scott Pulak assisted on both goals, while Ryd and Mike Bernardy also had a helper apiece.

B.J. O'Brien turned in a stellar 25-save performance to earn his fifth career shutout and his first this season. O'Brien helped kill off five Stevens Point power-play chances, and also had a brilliant save on a Pointers' short-handed chance late in the second period to keep the game scoreless. O'Brien's last shutout came by the same score against the same team nearly one year ago - on Nov. 14, 2009 at the Cornerstone Community Center.

Stevens Point's Nick Graves made 24 saves in the hard-luck loss, including 15 stops in the fateful third period.

St. Norbert had just one power-play chance - late in the second and early in the third period.

The win marked the 15th time St. Norbert has won at Willett Arena, the most for the Green Knights at any NCHA road venue. St. Norbert head coach Tim Coghlin also won his 360th game with the Green Knights as an NCHA member, pulling to within 10 of the league record of 370 held by Bemidji State's Bob Peters, the namesake of the league's post-season playoff trophy.