Box ScoreWINONA, Minn. – Saint John's hockey erased a 3-0 deficit with five goals over the final 21:16 to earn a 5-4 win over Saint Mary's on Friday, Feb. 12, in Winona.
SJU (9-9-4, 7-4-2 MIAC) out-shot the Cardinals 37-32 in the game, including a 29-20 margin over the final two periods.
Freshman forward
Mitch Fritz's (St. Cloud, Minn.) deflection in front, on the initial shot from freshman defenseman
Sean Lang (Apple Valley, Minn.), proved to be the game-winning goal with 3:13 remaining. Fritz now has 11 points (5g/6a) in his last eight games.
A pair of Roseville natives tied the game for SJU with goals in the first 2:54 of the third period. Junior forward
Kevin Becker (Roseville, Minn.) cut SJU's deficit to one with his sixth goal of the season 2:23 in and freshman forward
Robb Stautz (Roseville, Minn.) tied it with his first collegiate goal 31 seconds later.
Freshman forward
Matt Colford (Champlin, Minn.) gave the Johnnies a 4-3 lead with a pretty one-timer on the backdoor from sophomore forward
Huba Sekesi (Germering, Germany) with 7:13 left.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Jonathon Elliott tied it back up for SMU (9-13-2, 6-8-1 MIAC)
36 seconds later.
Kellen Wasell gave SMU an early 1-0 lead with his seventh goal of the season 5:10 into the game and Nick Albergo made it 2-0 with 6:23 left in the opening period.
Martin Gruse took advantage of an SJU turnover, seconds after a goal from Sekesi was disallowed, and gave SMU a 3-0 lead on his 14th goal of the season with 9:57 left in the second period.
Junior defenseman
Daniel Tripicchio (Hudson, Wis.) stopped the bleeding for SJU with his first collegiate goal on a delayed penalty with 1:16 left in the second frame.
Senior goaltender
Saxton Soley (Elk Mound, Wis.) made 28 saves to earn his 45th career victory (45-29-10 career record).
The Johnnies wrap up the series at Saint Mary's with a 2 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 13.
