Stevens Point, Wis. – The Gustavus Adolphus men’s hockey team couldn’t keep up with the scoring-spree unleashed by UW-Stevens Point in an 8-4 loss on Friday night at K.B. Willett Arena. After scoring a total of 17 goals in their season-opening series against Finlandia last weekend, the Pointers picked up right where they left off and came just a half a goal shy of their 8.5 goals per game average tonight against the Gusties.
Jumping out to a 3-1 lead after the first period and a 6-2 lead after the second, No. 10 Stevens Point didn’t look back en route to a four-goal victory and a 3-0-0 start to their season. Gustavus drops its second in a row and is now 1-2-0 overall.
After UW-Stevens Point took a 1-0 lead with a goal by Kyle Politz at 10:02 of the opening period, Gustavus responded less than :30 seconds later with a goal by Corey Leivermann (Sr., North Mankato, Minn.) at the 10:28 mark to tie the game at 1-1. Tyler Lapic (Jr., New Prague, Minn.) and Jack Walsh (Jr., Mahtomedi, Minn.) provided the assist on the Leivermann goal.
Gustavus would not score again until halfway though the second period. In between that time, the Pointers scored three unanswered goals to grab a 4-1 lead. Josh Daley put UW-Stevens Point up 2-1 at 13:00 of the first, Nick D’Avollo extended the lead to 3-1 five minutes later at 18:14, and Kevin Gibson capped the run with goal at 3:34 of the second period.
A goal by defenseman Nate Paulsen (Jr., La Habra, Calif.), his first of the season, off dimes from Walsh and Leivermann at the 11:59 mark of the second stopped the bleeding and cut the lead to 4-2.
As fast as Gustavus seemed to grab the momentum, it was taken away just as hastily. The Pointers used two straight goals after Paulsen’s to go up 6-2 after 40 minutes.
The first came from Lawrence Corneller at 13:32, and the other came from Garrett Ladd at 15:47.
Tyler Lapic scored a goal of his own off assists from Leivermann and Walsh to cut the lead in half (6-3) at the 3:43 point of the third period.
Once again, the Pointers followed a Gustie goal with two of their own. Kyle Sharkey netted the puck at 9:24, and Josh Daley scored the game’s only power play goal at 15:37 to give UW-Stevens Point an 8-3 lead.
The night’s scoring was capped off at the 15:29 mark when Leivermann hit the back of the net off assists from Tyler Lapic and Alex Gallen (Sr, Hingham, Mass.).
Leivermann led the Black and Gold in scoring with four points off of two goals and two assists. Tyler Lapic (1G, 2A) and Jack Walsh (3A) finished next in line with three points each.
UW-Stevens Point got its eight goals from seven different players. The Pointers outshot the Gusties 33-26 and shut down all seven of their power play opportunities. UW-Stevens Point when 1-for-4 on the man-advantage.
John McLean (So., Eagan, Minn.) suffered his first of the season in a complete-game, 26-save effort. His counterpart, Brandon Jaeger, picked up the win after going the distance and making 22 saves.
The Gustavus men’s hockey team will look to regroup and finish its weekend in Wisconsin on a high note with a game tomorrow against UW-Stout. The Gusties will take on the Blue Devils at the Dunn County Ice Arena in Menomonie at 7:30 p.m.