University of St. Thomas Athletics
3-7-4, 2-4-3
Lake Superior State
6-6-1, 4-1-0
Men's hockey comes up short against Lake Superior State
11/29/2024 10:13:00 PM | Men's Hockey
MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MINN. – It was simply not the Friday the University of St. Thomas men's hockey team was looking for. After enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday, the Tommies were looking to celebrate a victory in St. Thomas Ice Arena Friday evening when they hosts the Lake Superior State University Lakers in St. Thomas Ice Arena. Unfortunately, St. Thomas was unable to claim a victory against the Lakers. Despite scoring both a power play and shorthanded goal, the Tommies were left unsatisfied, as they fell by a final score of 4-2 Friday evening. With the loss, the team is now 3-7-4 overall and 2-4-3 in CCHA play.
RECAP:
For the first time in forever, it was the opponent, not St. Thomas, to score the first goal of the evening. Despite chances for the Tommies, Lake Superior State took an early 1-0 lead in the first period on an even strength goal by Branden Piku. Thanks to strong play from the Lakers goalie, that score held through the first period, but St. Thomas finally broke through three minutes into the second. With seconds remaining on the team's second power play, Chase Foley (Mendota Heights, Minn. / Colorado College) whipped the puck past Rorke Applebee to even the score at 1-1.
After Foley's goal, it looked like the Tommies finally cracked Applebee's code. After Ethan Gauer (Farmington, Minn. / Bemidji State) was called for a penalty, it looked St. Thomas would be going on the defensive for the next two minutes of play. It turned out to be the exact opposite. A Chase Cheslock (Rogers, Minn. / Rogers) clear found its way to Liam Malmquist's (Edina, Minn. / Edina) stick at the Tommie blue line. The CCHA's leading shorthanded skated toward the Lake Superior State netminder, drawing the attention of all Laker skaters. That left Lucas Wahlin (Woodbury, Minn. / Hill-Murray) wide open at the far side circle, and the captain did not miss. Wahlin sent the puck scorching past a diving Applebee, giving St. Thomas its first lead of the night at 4:30 in the second period.
The Tommies lead was, sadly, short lived. Five minutes after Wahlin scored the shorthanded goal, Lake Superior State tied things at 2-2 with a power play goal by Dawson Tritt. Before St. Thomas had a chance to respond, yet another penalty was called on the Tommies, this time for hooking. Again, it looked like St. Thomas managed to kill off the penalty, but the Lakers Johnny Druskinis snuck one past Jake Sibell (Isanti, Minn. / Cambridge-Isanti), giving Lake Superior State the 3-2 lead after two periods of play.
Unfortunately, the Tommies never could get their bearings in the third and final period of play. While St. Thomas was only called for two penalties in the final frame, both came at inconvenient times, as the Tommies offense was never truly able to generate momentum. Down 3-2 with under two minutes remaining in regulation, head coach Rico Blasi opted to pull Sibell for the extra skater. A goal was scored. Sadly, it was not by St. Thomas, as Connor Milburn cemented the Lakers 4-2 victory with an empty netter.
TOMMIE TIDBITS
St. Thomas is looking for its first Friday win in nearly a month, as the Tommies are now 1-3-3 in Friday games this season. However, this is the first time St. Thomas has suffered a loss on Friday since November 8, 2024, when the Tommies were dealt a 5-3 defeat by Minnesota State. St. Thomas earned tied with Bowling Green and Bemidji State each of the last two Fridays.
UP NEXT
St. Thomas will look to avenge Friday's loss on Saturday, as it hosts the same Lake Superior State team in St. Thomas Ice Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:07 p.m. in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.
