Green Knights Can't Rally at MSOE

From Sports Information Director, February 16, 2017 | Men's Hockey
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

MILWAUKEE -- St. Norbert College saw its hopes to win the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season championship take a hit when it dropped a 2-1 decision to Milwaukee School of Engineering at Kern Center.

The Green Knights (18-5-1, 14-4-1 NCHA) entered the weekend one point behind Adrian College in the overall league standings. St. Norbert now must beat MSOE Saturday in Green Bay and hope for Adrian to drop three points to St. Scholastica this weekend in Duluth, Minn., to claim the Peters Cup.

MSOE broke a 1-1 tie early in the third period when Clint Garris corralled a clearing attempt at the blue line and fired from out front for a power-play goal at 4:04 and a 2-1 Raiders' lead.

The Green Knights had several good scoring chances down the stretch but MSOE goaltender Zach Woodman was up to the challenge, making 29 saves.

St. Norbert had 2:18 of extra-attacker time in the closing moments, the last 19 of which came on a 6-on-4 power play, but couldn't even the score.

St. Norbert got on the board first with a power-play goal in the first period. Brad Pung came down the slot and finished a pass from below the goal line from Tanner Froese to give the Green Knights a 1-0 lead at 13:20. Pijus Rulevicius also assisted on the goal.

The Green Knights got a big opportunity at 13:29 of the second period when MSOE's Michael Romund was cited for a major interference penalty. It was the Raiders who capitalized, however, when Gage Christianson scored shorthanded at 14:27 to knot the game 1-1.

St. Norbert outshot MSOE by a 30-18 margin. T.J. Black made 16 saves for the Green Knights.

MSOE was 1-for-3 on the power play, while St. Norbert was 1-for-5.