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Men's hockey falls to Northland

Mike Cassino
December 11, 2002

In a game the Oles felt they should have won, the men's hockey team fell to the Northland Lumberjacks 4-2, giving the Oles their first loss at home thus far in the season.

Last year the Oles destroyed the Lumberjacks 10-1 on their home ice. It was an easy win a year ago and that memory seemed to trickle over to this year. Northland completely revamped their entire roster, bringing back only three players from the squad a year ago.

The game was scoreless after the first period, but the Oles held a commanding lead in the shot chart. After one period, the Oles out-shot their opponent 18 to 5. This trend would stay during the whole game as the Oles racked up 50 shots to Northland's 15.

Northland got on the board first, putting home a lose puck that squirted past goaltender Garret Hasti (Jr, Brooklyn Park, MN) Later in the same period, the Oles would tie the game up on Mike Cassano's (So., Littleton, CO) shot from just inside the zone. Cassano came in over the blue line and let a shot go, that slipped through a screen and landed up in the back of the net.

The Oles would not score again until late in the third when trailing 3-1. Keith Townsend (So., Sterling Heights, MI) ripped a shot over the Lumberjack goalie, to bring the Oles within one. The lead wouldn't last long as two shifts later, Northland skated the puck out of the Oles corner and fired a puck over Hasti. The final score was 4-2.

This weekend the Oles face two Wisconsin teams, both being tough opponents. The men host UW-Eau Claire on Friday night and UW-Stevens Point on Saturday night.

Contact Le Ann Finger at 507-786-3315 or finger@stolaf.edu.