Petersen's Shortie, Penalty Kill Lifts Green Knights

From Sports Information Director, November 14, 2008 | Men's Hockey
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

GREEN BAY - St. Norbert College claimed a tense 5-2 win over UW-Stevens Point in a Northern Collegiate Hockey Association opener for both teams at the Cornerstone Community Center.

The Green Knights, ranked No. 1 in the USCHO.com Division III Poll, improved to 6-0 overall and ran their unbeaten streak to 35 games. The Pointers, rated No. 6 in the poll, fell to 5-1 overall. St. Norbert is also unbeaten in its 27 games against NCHA foes.

St. Norbert held a 2-1 when the Green Knights' Taylor Langford was whistled for a major charging penalty for hitting the Pointers' Tom Upton behind the goal in the Stevens Point defensive zone with 10:04 left in the game. Following a 19-minute injury delay, the Green Knights penalty kill stopped the Pointers from tying the game.

Inside 30 seconds left on the major power play, Dustin Dubas hit Ryan Petersen up the middle of the ice on a breakout. Petersen scored shorthanded with 5:24 left in the game.

On the next shift, Shane Wheeler had a breakaway and scored unassisted with 4:45 left to give the Green Knights a 4-1 lead. Jason Nopper added a 4-on-4 goal with 3:51 left for a 5-1 St. Norbert advantage.

St. Norbert grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period when it cashed in twice on a five-minute major power play. Petersen scored backdoor just 17 seconds into the power play for the game's first goal. Scott Pulak put in a score with 29 seconds left in the power play when he redirected an Alain Joanette drive.

The Pointers cut the deficit to 2-1 late in the second period when they scored with 7 seconds left in a power play. Brett Beckfeld connected from the doorstep with 3:27 left in the period. Stevens Point scored its final goal with 36 seconds left in the game on a Joe Madden power-play score.

St. Norbert outshot Stevens Point 26-17. Both teams were 2-for-9 on the power play, with the Green Knights scoring twice on their major and the Pointers allowing a shorthanded goal on their major.

Blake Bashor made 15 saves for St. Norbert, while Thomas Speer had 21 saves for the Pointers.