NORTHFIELD, Minn. – First year
Tyler Cooper scored for the fourth time in the last six games for the St. Olaf College men's hockey team in a 2-1 loss to Saint Mary's University in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play on Saturday afternoon at St. Olaf Ice Arena.
Saint Mary's (4-7-1, 3-3-0 MIAC) scored twice in the opening 10 minutes of the game and held on the rest of the way, despite Cooper's power-play goal at 11:38 of the third period that brought St. Olaf (3-7-2, 2-3-1 MIAC) within a goal. Sophomore
Lukas Haugen stopped 33 of the 35 shots he faced for the Oles in his first collegiate start.
Cooper's goal was his fourth of the season, tying him with classmates
Ethan Hersant,
Sean Walsh, and
Matthew Pointer for the team lead. His 10 points also lead the team.
The Cardinals got off to a quick start when Gabe Potyk fired the puck five-hole off a cross-ice pass from Brady Lindauer 4:02 into the game for the opening goal. Saint Mary's doubled its lead a little over five minutes later, as Kellen Tharaldson prodded home a rebound off his own shot after being set up by Kasyn Kruse to make it 2-0.
Trailing by two after 20 minutes, St. Olaf had chances in the second period to get within a goal, including having an extended 5-on-3 for 1:17 near the midway point of the period but was unable to find a way past Matt Sankner in the Saint Mary's goal.
Sankner and the Cardinals kept the Oles off the board until Cooper lit the lamp just 18 seconds into a St. Olaf power play past the midway point of the third period. After the Oles possessed the puck on the face-off, first year
Troy Bowditch got the puck to junior
Evan Shoemaker, who found Cooper for a one-timer from the top of the left circle for St. Olaf's seventh power-play goal of the season.
Still down by a goal, the Oles got three shots on goal over the final 2:55 of the game, including one by first year
Parker Casey after St. Olaf pulled Haugen with 47 seconds remaining, but Sankner saved all three to preserve the win. Sankner finished with 25 saves for the Cardinals.
The Oles have a series against Bethel University next weekend, beginning with a 7 p.m. puck drop at the National Sports Center in Blaine on Friday, Dec. 10.
