Boyd Does It Again - Nets OT Game-Winner

From Sports Information Director, January 12, 2008 | Men's Hockey
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

GREEN BAY - St. Norbert College sophomore forward Matt Boyd scored an overtime game-winner for the second time in as many nights to lift the Green Knights to a pulsating 4-3 win over the University of St. Thomas in a battle of Top 4 teams at the Cornerstone Community Center.

Boyd scored his fourth goal of the weekend when he beat St. Thomas goaltender Tyler Chestnut far post at the 3:26 mark of overtime. Boyd took a feed from a falling Tyler Allen, who hit Boyd at the top of the crease. Boyd's marker gave the Green Knights overtime wins on consecutive nights for the first time in school history.

The game was even throughout among the conference leaders. St. Norbert (15-1-1) currently leads the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association and is ranked No. 1 by USCHO.com, while St. Thomas is rated No. 4 and sits atop the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

St. Norbert carried a 2-0 lead into the third period, only to watch it evaporate for the second-straight night. The Green Knights were able to forge the early lead when Tyler Allen scored on a breakaway at 7:40 of the first period. Boyd then put the Green Knights up two scores when he leaped over a St. Thomas player and beat Chestnut at 8:14 of the second frame.

St. Thomas would answer quickly in the third. Nate Ryan scored at 3:17 of the period, and Rob Johnson hit the equalizer at 7:46. St. Norbert's Jason Nopper gave the Green Knights a 3-2 advantage when he beat Chestnut low to the inside post with 6:53 left in regulation. The Tommies would answer with exactly 1 minutes left in regulation when Ryan scored unassisted past a screened Kyle Jones to force overtime.

St. Thomas outshot St. Norbert 28-26. Neither team scored on the power play, as St. Norbert was 0-for-4 and St. Thomas was 0-for-3.

Jones made 25 saves to earn his 75th career win. Chestnut, a sophomore transfer from NCAA Division I Holy Cross, made 22 stops for the Tommies.