NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College men's hockey team improved its non-conference unbeaten streak to six games with a 3-2 victory over UW-River Falls on Friday night at St. Olaf Ice Arena.

St. Olaf (7-6-1) got goals from three seniors, including the game-winner from Connor Kalthoff early in the third period, to down UW-River Falls (9-7-0) for the fourth consecutive meeting since 2020. The win over the Falcons, who received votes in this week's USCHO.com national poll, ran the Oles record to 5-0-1 in their last six non-conference contests.

Seniors Matthew Pointer and Jonathan Young also netted goals in the win for St. Olaf, which held a slender 20-18 advantage in shots on goal on the night. Seven Oles had one point apiece, while junior Tyler Laureault made 16 saves to record his second victory of the season.

St. Olaf got on the board first at 8:19 of the opening period when Pointer scored on a wrist shot through traffic from the right point with sophomore Tony Leahy providing a screen in front. Leahy and senior Ben Luscko earned assists on Pointer's second goal of the season, both of which have come in the last five games.

UW-River Falls evened the game at a goal apiece with a power-play goal by Cole Teleki at 12:19 of the first period, as Teleki scored on a deflected shot just 10 seconds into the Falcons' first power play of the night. Young restored St. Olaf's one-goal advantage with less than three minutes to go in the period by flipping in a forehand from in close after junior Jonathan Panisa and first year Nicholas Sewecke combined to set up Young. Sewecke's assist was his fifth point in eight collegiate games, while Young's goal moved him into a tie with Panisa for the team lead with seven this season.

After a scoreless second period, Kalthoff extended the Oles' lead to 3-1 at 4:07 of the third period with an unassisted goal for his third of the season. The senior gloved down the puck in neutral ice, entered the offensive zone along the right boards, and drove to the goal before dragging onto his forehand.

The Falcons benefited from an odd bounce off the boards less than three minutes later, as the puck caromed straight off a station to Reid Lune in front after a St. Olaf skater attempted to clear the puck out of the Oles' defensive zone. UW-River Falls got a power play midway through the period but negated the advantage halfway through with a penalty of its own, as the Oles held on.

St. Olaf will wrap up its final Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) crossover weekend against UW-Stout on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 6 p.m. at St. Olaf Ice Arena.