University of St. Thomas Athletics
Saturday, November 4
Mendota Heights, Minn.
6:07 p.m. Central
5-5-1, 3-2-0
6
vs
1
Northern Michigan
1-7-1, 1-4-0
1
2
3
F
Northern Mich.
0
1
0
1
St. Thomas (MN)
1
3
2
6
Team Stats
NMU
UST
Shots
27
25
PPG
0
0
SHG
0
0
Penalties
4
5
Penalty Mins
11
10
Faceoffs Won
28
44
Game Leaders
Skaters
+/-
2
Goals
2
Sh
3
A
0
+/-
1
Goals
1
Sh
3
A
1
+/-
2
Goals
1
Sh
2
A
1
+/-
2
Goals
0
Sh
1
A
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's HockeyD
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's HockeyF
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's HockeyF
/ Men's Hockey
G
/ Men's HockeyF
/ Men's Hockey
Photo by: Corina Sandy
Men’s Hockey downs Northern Michigan 6-1 to complete CCHA series sweep
11/5/2023 12:22:00 AM | Men's Hockey
The Tommies got points from 11 different skaters and a 26-save performance from Jake Sibell in program-best five-goal winning margin over the Wildcats.
MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. – The University of St. Thomas Men's Hockey team (4-5-1, 2-2-0 CCHA) matched up with the Northern Michigan Wildcats (1-6-1, 1-3-0 CCHA) with sights set on their first CCHA sweep of the season and first ever sweep of NMU. The Tommies were right on target to lock up the six conference points over the weekend with a commanding 6-1 victory in game two.
RECAP
Much like the first game less than 24 hours before, the Toms struck first around halfway through the opening frame. At 9:14, Quinton Pepper sauced a pass off the boards out of the Tommies' end through the neutral zone directly onto the stick of Luke Manning at the opposite blue line. Manning had no one left to beat but the goalie and on the team's first shot on net of the game, they had the lead, 1-0.
They carried that slim margin into the locker room but doubled it just 52 seconds into the second period. Lucas Wahlin deked a Northern Michigan back-skater nearly out of his skates and then ripped a pass through the slot to Noah Prokop who sent it home for the first time as a Tommie.
St. Thomas was handed a golden opportunity at 5:56 in the second as Northern Michigan's Rylan Van Unen was given a major penalty for boarding. The Toms placed just three shots on net during the five-minute man-advantage and could not score. Northern Michigan capitalized with a goal three minutes after the clutch penalty kill and momentum seemed to be shifting.
That shift was short-lived. Luke Manning scored his second of the game after Ethan Gauer's shot from the line rebounded off the Wildcat's netminder nearly two minutes after NMU's lone goal of the contest.
Noah Prokop returned the favor to Lucas Wahlin as the two teamed up for yet another tally. Prokop won a draw in the offensive end cleanly to Wahlin who sent a wrist shot through traffic and into the back of the net, his third goal of the series. Prokop won 16 of his 23 faceoffs on the night.
St. Thomas came roaring out of the second intermission with a Jake Braccini goal at 1:39. Former Wildcat Mack Byers sealed it with a goal at 13:33 with a little help from Ryan O'Neill and Ethan Gauer who tic-tac-toed it through the o-zone.
Jake Sibell lowered his CCHA-leading goals against average to 1.27 (nearly one goal lower than the second-best) with 26 saves on 27 shots in his second win of the season. The junior is also leading the conference in save percentage at .947.
The Tommies came up empty for the second game in a row on the power play. They had three chances including a five-minute major opportunity. They were a perfect four-for-four on the penalty kill against a top-five-in-the-country power play unit. All four centers were at .500 or above in the circle: Prokop (16-7), Luke Manning (10-6), Mack Byers (10-7), and Cooper Gay (8-8).
Quotables
Head Coach Rico Blasi on the victory
"We came out with purpose, played on our toes, played to our identity and I thought the guys did a nice job coming to play tonight. I thought they (NMU) took it to us during those first five minutes or so and then we got a bounce and Manning had a nice breakaway goal and we settled down from there."
UP NEXT
The Tommies head to Bowling Green, Ohio to play two games against the Bowling Green State Falcons on Friday, Nov. 10 and Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:07 p.m. St. Thomas has never won a game on the road against the Falcons.
RECAP
Much like the first game less than 24 hours before, the Toms struck first around halfway through the opening frame. At 9:14, Quinton Pepper sauced a pass off the boards out of the Tommies' end through the neutral zone directly onto the stick of Luke Manning at the opposite blue line. Manning had no one left to beat but the goalie and on the team's first shot on net of the game, they had the lead, 1-0.
They carried that slim margin into the locker room but doubled it just 52 seconds into the second period. Lucas Wahlin deked a Northern Michigan back-skater nearly out of his skates and then ripped a pass through the slot to Noah Prokop who sent it home for the first time as a Tommie.
St. Thomas was handed a golden opportunity at 5:56 in the second as Northern Michigan's Rylan Van Unen was given a major penalty for boarding. The Toms placed just three shots on net during the five-minute man-advantage and could not score. Northern Michigan capitalized with a goal three minutes after the clutch penalty kill and momentum seemed to be shifting.
That shift was short-lived. Luke Manning scored his second of the game after Ethan Gauer's shot from the line rebounded off the Wildcat's netminder nearly two minutes after NMU's lone goal of the contest.
Noah Prokop returned the favor to Lucas Wahlin as the two teamed up for yet another tally. Prokop won a draw in the offensive end cleanly to Wahlin who sent a wrist shot through traffic and into the back of the net, his third goal of the series. Prokop won 16 of his 23 faceoffs on the night.
St. Thomas came roaring out of the second intermission with a Jake Braccini goal at 1:39. Former Wildcat Mack Byers sealed it with a goal at 13:33 with a little help from Ryan O'Neill and Ethan Gauer who tic-tac-toed it through the o-zone.
Jake Sibell lowered his CCHA-leading goals against average to 1.27 (nearly one goal lower than the second-best) with 26 saves on 27 shots in his second win of the season. The junior is also leading the conference in save percentage at .947.
The Tommies came up empty for the second game in a row on the power play. They had three chances including a five-minute major opportunity. They were a perfect four-for-four on the penalty kill against a top-five-in-the-country power play unit. All four centers were at .500 or above in the circle: Prokop (16-7), Luke Manning (10-6), Mack Byers (10-7), and Cooper Gay (8-8).
Quotables
Head Coach Rico Blasi on the victory
"We came out with purpose, played on our toes, played to our identity and I thought the guys did a nice job coming to play tonight. I thought they (NMU) took it to us during those first five minutes or so and then we got a bounce and Manning had a nice breakaway goal and we settled down from there."
UP NEXT
The Tommies head to Bowling Green, Ohio to play two games against the Bowling Green State Falcons on Friday, Nov. 10 and Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:07 p.m. St. Thomas has never won a game on the road against the Falcons.
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