Box Score

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Saint John's hockey broke a 1-1 tie with three third-period goals to post a 4-1 win over Hamline in the MIAC opener on Thursday, Nov. 8, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

Freshman forward Davis Kirkendall (Hamel, Minn.), fresh off his game-winning goal in the Johnnies' 4-3 win Nov. 3 over Wisconsin-Stout, scored a pair of goals in the victory.

Sophomore forward Ryan Kero (Hermantown, Minn.) broke the stalemate with his second goal of the season 9:42 into the third period. Sophomore forward Tanner Dufault (Kasson, Minn.) stole a clearing attempt by the Pipers and found Kero all alone in front of the net. 

SJU (3-1-1, 1-0-0 MIAC) broke the game open with a pair of goals 18 seconds apart late in the game. Senior forward Matt Colford (Champlin, Minn.) padded the lead with a power-play goal, his 50th career point, at the 18:41 mark and Kirkendall sealed it with an empty-netter at 18:59.



Kirkendall gave SJU a 1-0 lead 12:53 into the game. He took the pass from classmate Brady Dahl (Rochester, Minn.) behind the cage, swung his body around the net and ripped a high shot over the glove of the Pipers' Evan Robert.

Robert denied Dahl with a beautiful save on a shorthanded, 2-on-1 rush early in the second period and Weiland Parrish tied the game on the other end with a power-play goal for HU (0-5-0, 0-1-0 MIAC) at the 3:47 mark. The power-play goal was the Pipers' third in 28 opportunities this season. 

Junior goaltender Andrew Lindgren (Minneapolis, Minn.) made 19 saves to earn his first win of the season (1-1-1 record). 

SJU out-shot the Pipers 32-20, including a 13-4 advantage in the third period. 

The Johnnies travel to St. Paul for the return game at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, at the TRIA Rink.