Green Knights Take One Step Closer to NCHA Regular-Season Title

From Asst. AD/Athletics Communications, February 8, 2019 | Men's Hockey
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College clinched at least a share of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season championship with a hard-fought 3-1 win over Finlandia University at Cornerstone Community Center.

The Green Knights (17-4-3, 13-3-1 NCHA) lead Adrian College by two points in the league standings with one game remaining. Any combination of the Green Knights gaining points or the Bulldogs losing points in the regular-season finale gives St. Norbert the Peters Cup championship and home ice throughout the NCHA Harris Cup Playoffs.

St. Norbert had to work for their eighth consecutive win, leading 1-0 after two periods and finding itself tied with Finlandia in the early third period.

The Green Knights scored a power-play goal with 53 seconds left in the first period when Riley Christsensen's one-timer was good for his 11th marker of the season, with Brendon Gysbers and Roman Uchyn assisting.

That goal would hold up until Finlandia would cash in on its only power-play chance of the game. Hunter Kero got a clean feed to the weak side and had plenty of net to work with to bring the Lions even at 1-1 at 2:45 of the third period. St. Norbert would wrest momentum back moments later, with Luke Davison capping off extended offensive-zone pressure by scoring from right out front off a pass from Brad Pung at 4:22. The Green Knights picked up an insurance goal from Steven Mather with 4:02 remaining, with Timmy Nicksic and Steven Phillips getting assists.

St. Norbert outshot Finlandia 33-18, including 15-4 in the third period.

T.J. Black made 17 saves for the Green Knights, while Marcus Gloss made 30 stops for the Lions. St. Norbert was 1-for-4 on the power play, while Finlandia was 1-for-1.