Green Knights Grind Out Win at UW-Eau Claire

From Sports Information Director, November 18, 2011 | Men's Hockey
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

EAU CLAIRE - St. Norbert College picked up a much-needed road victory with a 3-2 win over UW-Eau Claire in the first game of a two-game Northern Collegiate Hockey Association series at Hobbs Ice Center.

The eighth-ranked Green Knights (4-2-2, 2-2-1 NCHA) picked up their first road win in conference play in four tries this season. The 14th-ranked Blugolds dropped to 4-3, 2-3.

St. Norbert had the luxury of a five-minute power play just 3 minutes into the game but couldn't score, and the first period ended scoreless.

The Green Knights jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second period. Cody Keefer banged home a power-play goal at the 4 minutes 3 seconds mark. Seth Soley then scored at 14:49 for the two-goal edge. With 1:39 left in the period, a fracas broke out that sent all 10 skaters on ice to the penalty box - but the penalties all washed out as all offenders were given double-minor roughing penalties.

Eau Claire halved its deficit at the 8:08 mark of the second period on a Tyler Jundt goal. Keefer scored his fifth goal of the season at 11:05 for a 3-1 lead, but the Blugolds answered right back at 12:55 on a Jon Waggoner score to cut it to 3-2.

St. Norbert had a power play when Eau Claire's Bryce Wilcox was called for tripping with 1:52 left. The Green Knights negated that advantage when Kyle Stroh was called for hooking with 1 minute to go. Eau Claire pulled goaltender Brandon Stephenson at that point, and held the offensive zone for the final 16 seconds, but couldn't get the equalizer.

Joe Perry finished with two assists for St. Norbert, giving the Green Knights their only multi-point night in addition to Keefer's two markers.

St. Norbert outshot Eau Claire 28-26. The Green Knights were 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Blugolds were 0-for-3. David Jacobson made 24 saves for St. Norbert, while Stephenson made 25 stops for Eau Claire.