Late Goal Sends St. Norbert to Loss

From Sports Information Director, January 22, 2016 | Men's Hockey
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College yielded the decisive goal with 2:17 remaining as the Green Knights dropped a 5-4 decision to Adrian College in a Northern Collegiate Hockey Association game at Cornerstone Community center.

Chris Leone's shot from the blue line found net and pushed the No. 2-ranked Bulldogs (15-1-1, 11-1-1 NCHA) past the No. 1-rated Green Knights (13-2-1, 9-2). The second game of the two-game league series is set for 4 p.m. Saturday.

St. Norbert looked like it could be in position for at least a tie when Erik Cooper's one-timer with 4:22 remaining knotted the score at 4-4. But Adrian won a draw in its offensive zone with the puck skipping to Leone, who connected with the game-winning goal.

Adrian took a 2-0 lead with a pair of goals 13 seconds apart about midway through the first period. Trevor Boyd scored at 8:52, followed by a Brett Pinkerton goal at 9:05. St. Norbert pulled to within 2-1 by the end of the period when Michael Hill chipped home a loose puck out front for a power-play marker at 17:24.

The Green Knights grabbed the lead in the second period. Hill scored another power-play goal, this one coming at 15:13. Riley Christensen then scored 32 seconds later for a 3-2 advantage. Adrian's Bryan Yim brought the Bulldogs back even with a 4-on-4 goal at 17:29 after the Green Knights took a penalty while on the power play.

Adrian's Jeremy Olinyk scored the Bulldogs' lone power-play goal at 4:11 of the third period, also coming off a face-off in the offensive zone five seconds after a penalty call.

Hill had an assist for a three-point game, while Cooper had an assist for a two-point outing.

St. Norbert held a slim 31-29 shots advantage. Tyler Parks made 27 saves for the Bulldogs, while Tony Kujava made 24 saves for the Green Knights.

St. Norbert was 2-for-7 on the power play and Adrian was 1-for-7. Both teams committed 11 minor penalties.