Hockey

Category: Hockey

Lawrence skaters host Finlandia in regular-season finale

The Lawrence University hockey team takes on Finlandia University this weekend in the final series of the regular season. Friday’s game begins at 7 p.m. at the Appleton Family Ice Center, and Saturday’s game is set for 4 p.m. One victory this weekend would clinch home ice for the Vikings in the quarterfinals of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs.

Preview

Sabres down Lawrence to win Battle of Highway 41

Marian University scored three goals in a span of four minutes in the first period to take control and went on to a 6-3 Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association victory over Lawrence University on Saturday night at the Appleton Family Ice Center.

The game was part of the second annual Battle of Highway 41, which was won by Marian for the second consecutive year.

Lawrence (11-11-1, 9-9-0 MCHA) scored first on Vince Vacketta’s first career goal at 7:03 of the first.

The Sabres (17-6-0, 14-4-0) tied the game on Tommy Fitzpatrick’s goal at the 9:42 mark. Marian grabbed a 2-1 lead just 19 seconds later when Tanner Burton scored his first goal of the season. The Sabres made it 3-1 when Matt Williams scored on the power play at 13:42.

The Sabres took a 4-1 lead into the first intermission when Brendan Roberts scored at 18:01. Marian quickly made it 5-1 on Brendan Hull’s goal just 42 seconds into the second period.

Lawrence trimmed the lead to 5-2 late in the second period when Nate Scurfield scored his first career goal, a power-play tally.

William Thoren gave the Vikings some life when he scored on the power play at 7:16 of the third to cut the lead to 5-3. That didn’t last long because Williams scored just 26 seconds later to stretch the lead to 6-3.

Alex Bjerk made 22 saves to pick up the win for the Sabres. Michael Baldino made the start for Lawrence and allowed four first-period goals. Kevin Aslett, seeing his first action for Lawrence, stopped 34 of 36 shots in the final two periods.

Box score

Marian shuts out Vikings

FOND DU LAC, Wis. — Marian University used a big third period to pull away and post a 5-0 Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association victory over Lawrence University on Friday night at the Blue Line Ice Center.

The game was part of the Battle of Highway 41 series, which wraps up Saturday night at the Appleton Family Ice Center.

Marian (16-6-0, 13-4-0 MCHA) had built a 2-0 lead on a goal in the first minute of the contest by Matt Williams and Dakota Dubetz’s second-period tally.

The Sabres then sealed the win with three goals in the final period.

Lane Boswell scored just 22 seconds into the third period to put Marian up 3-0. Brendan Hull scored midway through the period and Williams added a goal late to finish the scoring.

Justin DeMaa and Alex Bjerk combined to stop 32 shots for the shutout. Evan Johnson made 54 saves for the Vikings (11-10-1, 9-8-0).

Box score

Sheridan, Thoren pick up MCHA weekly honors

Lawrence University hockey standouts Jon Sheridan and William Thoren have earned Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association weekly awards.

Sheridan (Midland, Mich.) was chosen as the Defensive Player of the Week and Thoren (Gothenburg, Sweden) was named the Freshman of the Week.

Sheridan, a senior defenseman, recorded two assists in Lawrence’s 5-0 shutout of Northland College last Friday. Sheridan then broke a 2-2 tie in the third period on Saturday with a power-play goal that proved to be the game winner in Lawrence’s 4-2 victory.

Sheridan was a plus-four on the weekend and was on the ice for six of Lawrence’s nine goals. Sheridan now has three goals and six assists for nine points this season.

Thoren, a freshman defenseman, was a key performer in Lawrence’s shutout win over the Lumberjacks last Friday. He picked up a pair of assists in Friday’s victory and had another assist in Saturday’s win.

Thoren, who has three goals and is tied for the team lead with 13 assists this season, was a plus-three on the weekend.

Lawrence returns to action this weekend when it has a home-and-home series with Marian University.

Vikings pull away from Northland in third period

Lawrence University scored a pair of third-period goals and pulled away for a 4-2 Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association victory over Northland College on Saturday at the Appleton Family Ice Center.

Lawrence, which clinched a spot in the MCHA playoffs on Friday, swept the weekend series. Lawrence posted a 5-0 victory in the series opener.

Jon Sheridan and Jon Bellotti both scored on the power play in the third period for Lawrence (11-9-1, 9-7-0 MCHA), which enjoyed a 43-37 edge in shots. Goaltender Evan Johnson stopped 35 shots to pick up the win.

Lawrence got on top midway through the first period on Sam Johnson’s goal. Matt Hughes followed with a goal at the 14:42 mark to give the Vikings a 2-0 edge.

Chad Moore cut that lead in half when he scored for the Lumberjacks (6-13-2, 5-9-2) at the 16:50 mark of the first. Northland then tied it on Colin Moberly’s power-play goal just 2:14 into the second period.

The Vikings took advantage of a Northland penalty early in the third to take the lead. After David Little was sent off for slashing, Sheridan scored at the 2:56 mark to give the Vikings a 3-2 edge.

The Lumberjacks were whistled for a major penalty at the 10:47 mark, and Bellotti picked up a power-play goal 3:15 later to put the Vikings up 4-2.

Northland pulled goaltender Daniel McIntosh for nearly two minutes late in the game but couldn’t put a dent in Lawrence’s lead. McIntosh stopped 39 shots and took the loss.

Lawrence returns to action next weekend when it takes on Marian University.

Box score

Lawrence skaters blank Lumberjacks

The Lawrence University hockey team posted its first shutout of the season Friday night with a 5-0 Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association win over Northland College at the Appleton Family Ice Center.

The Vikings ripped off four goals in the final period to seal the victory, which clinched a MCHA playoff berth for Lawrence.

Senior goaltender Evan Johnson stopped 21 shots to pick up his ninth career shutout, adding to his school record. It was the first shutout for Johnson and the Vikings since a 4-0 win over Concordia (Wis.) University on Feb. 20, 2009.

Lawrence (10-9-1, 8-7-0 MCHA) took the lead early in the second period when Josh DeSmit scored off passes from Jon Sheridan and Johnson.

The Vikings, who outshot Northland 59-21, didn’t add to that lead until 17 seconds into the third period. Matt Hughes scored just seconds before a Northland penalty elapsed to give the Vikings a 2-0 edge.

Ben DiMarco made it 3-0 at the 6:02 mark when he scored off passes from Jesse Byam-Katzman and Nate Scurfield. Scurfield then assisted on Sam Johnson’s goal just 2:26 later to make it 4-0.

The Vikings then added a goal from freshman Huck Saunders at the 16:15 mark to complete the scoring.

Daniel McIntosh stopped 54 shots but took the loss for Northland (6-12-2, 5-8-2).

The teams wrap up the two-game series on Saturday afternoon.

Box score

Vikings fall to MSOE

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Milwaukee School of Engineering scored three consecutive goals and went on to a 4-2 Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association victory over Lawrence University on Saturday at the Kern Center.

MSOE (15-3-1, 12-1-1 MCHA) broke a 1-1 tie early in the second period and then added another goal late in the period to take command and complete a sweep of the weekend series.

Lawrence (9-9-1, 7-7-0) scored both of its goals on the power play. Lawrence finished 2-for-5 on the man-advantage and MSOE was 2-for-4.

Todd Krupa opened the scoring for MSOE at the 6:22 mark of the first period. The Vikings tied it at 1-1 on Jameson Raymond’s power-play goal at the 12:15 mark of the first.

Ben Lauder scored on the power play for MSOE 4:27 into the second period to give MSOE the lead for good. Bradley Tierney made it 3-1 at 14:59 of the second, and MSOE took a 4-1 lead when Nathan Brunk scored on the power play just 4:28 into the final period.

Lawrence cut the lead to 4-2 on Derek Brickan’s power-play goal with 3:57 left but could get no closer.

Connor Toomey made 28 saves to pick up the win for MSOE. Evan Johnson also stopped 28 shots and took the loss.

Box score

MSOE shuts out Vikings

The Milwaukee School of Engineering hockey team posted a 2-0 Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association win over Lawrence University Friday night at the Appleton Family Ice Center.

The Raiders (14-3-1, 11-1-1 MCHA) scored early in both the first and second periods to earn the victory.

Connor Toomey stopped 23 shots to pick up the win for MSOE. Evan Johnson made 29 saves for the Vikings (9-8-1, 7-6-0).

MSOE got on the board just 4:12 into the opening period when Nick Gorup scored off passes from Ben Lauder and Bradley Tierney.

The Raiders made it 2-0 4:53 into the second period on Todd Krupa’s goal. Lawrence appeared to have cut the lead in half with 2:00 left in the second period, but Reijo Wahlin’s goal was waived off after official called a high stick.

Lawrence had a chance to get back into the game in the third period when the Vikings had a two-man advantage after two penalties were called on the Raiders in quick succession.

The Raiders killed off both penalties, and Lawrence went 0-for-6 on the power play on the evening. The Lawrence penalty killers were just as good, holding MSOE to 0-for-7 on the man-advantage.

The teams wrap up the series Saturday afternoon at the Kern Center in Milwaukee.

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