The Gustavus Adolphus men’s hockey team downed Concordia-Moorhead 5-2 Saturday to complete a weekend sweep of the Cobbers in Moorhead. Mike Hosfield (Sr., Golden Valley, Minn.) scored twice and Joe Welch (Fr., Hastings, Minn.) and Niko Suoraniemi (So., Angelhom, Sweden) each scored a goal and an assist for the Gusties, who host Saint John’s in a non-conference game Tuesday evening in St. Peter.
Hosfield got the Gusties on the board midway through the first period with a shot that found its way past Cobber goalie Mike Persson. Eric Bigham (Fr., Robbinsdale, Minn.) was given an assist on the play. Gustavus extended its lead to 2-0 in the closing minutes of the first period as Steven Jensen (Sr., Kentwood, Mich.) lit the lamp off assists from Welch and Suoraniemi.
An unassisted power-play goal by Hosfield at the 7:11 mark of the second period gave the Gusties a three-goal lead, but the Cobbers worked their way back into the game with a flurry of activity in the final five minutes of the period. Knut Bitustoeyl got the Cobbers on the board with a power-play goal with 3:30 to play before the second intermission. Suoraniemi extended the lead back to three goals 1:10 later as he lit the lamp for the second time this season and helped set up Concordia’s second goal of the day after being whistled for hooking not long after play resumed. Carl Babich converted on the ensuing power play off assists from Tony Janssen and Mike Persson to cut the lead to 4-2 with 0:44 left in the period.
Neither team was able to establish much momentum in the third period as a total of 15 penalties were called during the game’s final 20 minutes. Gustavus was whistled for infractions on nine occasions during the period, while the Cobbers had a player sent to the box for six miscues themselves. Late in the period, the Cobbers went on the power play due to a tripping penalty on Gustavus’ Sami Idris (Jr., Gothenburg, Sweden). Concordia chose to pull Persson from the net in order to gain the extra attacker. Welch capitalized on the situation, scoring a short-handed, empty-net goal for the Gusties with 1:22 to play to close out the scoring.
The teams combined for 25 penalties. Gustavus was 1-for-7 on the power play, while the Cobbers converted two of 11 chances with the extra attacker.
Kevin Johnson (So., Montrose, Minn.) improved to 2-2-0 in net for the Gusties after making 18 saves. Persson made 23 saves but was tagged with the loss.
Gustavus will host Saint John’s in a non-conference game Tuesday evening and then travel to Milwaukee, Wis., next weekend (Saturday-Sunday) to participate in the Milwaukee School of Engineering Thanksgiving Tournament. The Gusties will face host MSOE Saturday at 7:05 and will meet either Neumann or UW-Stout Sunday with Sunday’s matchups determined by Saturday’s results.