NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College men's hockey team posted its first shutout victory in nearly six years by blanking UW-River Falls by a 3-0 score on Thursday evening at St. Olaf Ice Arena.

St. Olaf (3-1-0) held UW-River Falls (3-2-0) off the board with a 27-save performance from sophomore Thomas Lalonde and got a goal in each period in the win. The shutout victory was the Oles' first in 117 games since a 2-0 win over Saint John's on Jan. 13, 2017 and the team's first shutout in 86 games dating back to a 0-0 tie at Bethel University on Feb. 9, 2018.

Sophomore Troy Bowditch had a goal and an assist in the victory, while first year Kelijah McElroy and sophomore Tyler Cooper also scored for St. Olaf. The Oles also held the Falcons scoreless on five power-play opportunities in the game, including nearly a minute of 5-on-3 time in the third period.

UW-River Falls, which received votes in this week's DCU/USCHO Division III Men's Poll, came its closest to scoring inside the opening four minutes when Noah Ganske rang a shot off the pipe early on. Both teams killed off penalties before McElroy opened the scoring at the 14:23 mark with a backhand from the left circle that beat Dysen Skinner on the glove side.

The goal extended McElroy's point streak to four games to begin his collegiate career and raised his team-leading point total to six (two goals, four assists). Junior Parker Casey and first year Jack Boxer picked up assists on the goal, with Boxer's assist serving as his first collegiate point in his debut.

St. Olaf capitalized on the man advantage midway through the second period to double its lead to 2-0 at the 10:03 mark. Just over 30 seconds into the power play, Bowditch teed up a one-timer by Cooper from the left circle after getting the puck from sophomore Connor Kalthoff, who picked up an assist for the second-straight game.

The Oles nearly went up 3-0 inside the opening 30 seconds of the third period when Casey hit the pipe from the right circle. Later in the period, St. Olaf was whistled for minor penalties just over a minute apart but killed off both penalties to stay up by two. Bowditch tallied the lone goal of the final 20 minutes with an empty-netter with less than a minute to go.

Lalonde made seven saves in the first period, 10 in the second, and 10 more in the third in his first-career shutout. Skinner finished the night with 17 saves for the Falcons, who held a 27-20 advantage in shots on goal in the game.

St. Olaf plays host to UW-Stevens Point on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. at St. Olaf Ice Arena. The Pointers also received votes in this week's national poll.