ST. PAUL, Minn. – Sophomore
Matthew Pointer scored with less than six minutes remaining to break a 1-1 tie, as the St. Olaf College men's hockey team completed a sweep of Hamline University with a 3-1 road win on Saturday night at TRIA Rink.
With the score locked at 1-1, Pointer netted the game-winning goal at the 14:21 mark of the third period to send St. Olaf (5-1-1, 3-1-0 MIAC) to its second 3-1 victory over Hamline (3-4-0, 1-3-0 MIAC) in as many night. The win marked the second-straight season that the Oles have swept the Pipers.
Pointer and classmate
Connor Kalthoff both netted their first goals of the season and set up another goal in the win for St. Olaf, while senior
Ashton Altmann also scored on the night. Junior
Lukas Haugen remained unbeaten (3-0-1) this season with a 24-save night in goal for the Oles.
After a scoreless opening 37-plus minutes, Altmann gave St. Olaf a 1-0 lead late in the second period, scoring off assists from Kalthoff and senior
Evan Shoemaker. Altmann's goal was also his first of the season.
The Oles maintained their 1-0 lead until midway through the third period when Sebastien Vaillancourt tallied Hamline's lone goal of the game to knot the score at 1-1. St. Olaf responded a little over three minutes later, when sophomore
Sean Walsh and first year
Jonathan Panisa set up Pointer's game-winning goal. Panisa's assist was the first of his collegiate career.
Kalthoff added an empty-net goal with 1:11 to go to seal the victory with the second goal of his collegiate career. The two teams combined for just five penalties in the game but neither team was able to convert on the man advantage, as St. Olaf was 0-for-3 and Hamline was 0-for-2.
The Oles outshot the Pipers by a 35-25 margin in shots on goal in the game. Kevin Lake made double-digit saves in the first and third periods for the hosts and finished with 32 saves for the game.
St. Olaf takes a break from conference play to host Marian University on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 26-27. Puck drop for the series opener is set for 7 p.m.
