Green Knights Lose NCHA Harris Cup Title Game to Adrian

From Sports Information Director, March 7, 2015 | Men's Hockey
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

ADRIAN, Mich. - St. Norbert College couldn't find a third-period equalizer and ended up dropping a 4-2 decision to Adrian College in the championship game of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Harris Cup Playoffs at Arrington Ice Arena.

The Green Knights (20-6-2) will need to get an at-large bid to reach the NCAA Division III Tournament when bids are announced at 9:30 a.m. Monday. Adrian (23-3-3) earned an automatic berth into the field.

Adrian took a 1-0 lead in the first period when Kyle Brothers converted on a penalty shot at the 8:35 mark after St. Norbert goaltender Tony Kujava was cited for a delay of game penalty.

St. Norbert scored 3:29 into the second period on Pijus Rulevicius' 10th goal of the season, but the Bulldogs answered on a Mathew Thompson goal at 5:08. Adrian pushed out to a 3-1 lead on a Ryan Gieseler goal at 11:06. St. Norbert got back to within striking distance at 18:33 on a Marian Fiala power-play goal to trail 3-2 after two periods.

Neither team would score in the third period until Adrian's Chris Leone had an empty-net goal that traveled the length of the ice with 56 seconds remaining.

Kujava, Fiala and Chris Rial were all named to the Harris Cup Playoffs All-Tournament Team.

Adrian held a 28-24 shots-on-goal advantage over St. Norbert, which mustered just three shots in the third period. Kujava made 24 saves, while Scott Shackell made 22 stops for Adrian.

St. Norbert was 1-for-3 on the power play, while Adrian was 0-for-3.