Big First Period Leads St. Norbert Past Finlandia

From Sports Information Director, January 15, 2016 | Men's Hockey
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College pumped in five first-period goals and that was more than enough to pace the Green Knights past Finlandia University 7-1 in a Northern Collegiate Hockey Association game at the Cornerstone Community Center.

The Green Knights (12-1-1, 8-1 NCHA), ranked No. 1 in the USCHO.com and D3hockey.com polls, face the Lions in the second game of the two-game series at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Cornerstone.

St. Norbert, coming off a 33-day hiatus, took a while to get going but then unloaded an offensive barrage in the last 12 minutes of the opening period. Brad Pung got things started with a goal at the 8-minute mark, followed by a power-play goal from Storm Wahlrab at 11:40.

Sean Campbell's drive from the blue line found twine for a 3-0 lead at 14:23. Michael Hill added to the Green Knights' lead at 18:49, followed by a breakaway score by Ross Pavek at 19:58.

St. Norbert added to its lead when Pijus Rulevicius' shot from the high slot put the Green Knights ahead 6-0. Finlandia scored its lone goal with a power-play marker by Thomas Malkmus at 13:44, but the Green Knights countered with a goal by Steven Phillips at 16:35.

Neither team found the net in a quick-moving third period.

Tanner Froese had three assists for the Green Knights, while Pavek and Rulevicius each had assists for two-point games.

St. Norbert outshot Finlandia 30-15. Tony Kujava made 14 saves for the Green Knights, while Matt Young made 23 stops for the Lions.

The Green Knights were 1-for-6 on the power play and Finlandia was 1-for-4.