PREP BOYS HOCKEY: Cardinals hold off Tigers; Eagles drop tilt to Storm

PRINCETON — Skyler Wenninger scored a hat trick to help the Luverne Cardinals boys hockey team to a 7-4 victory over the Princeton Tigers Saturday.

The Cardinals (11-3) went 2-for-6 on the power play, while stopping the Tigers on all three of their odd-man advantages in the game. Luverne goalie Kendall Meyer made 31 saves on 35 shots through three periods.

Princeton opened up the scoring early in the first period on a goal by A.J. Wesloh to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. But the Cardinals were able to answer later in the period as Wenninger picked up the first his three goals to tie the game.

Luverne scored three straight goals in second to take its first lead of the game and never looked back. Scoring for the Cardinals in the second were Jackson Frankenhoff, Wenninger and Toby Sengvongxay.

The Tigers cut the lead to two on a Dan Muench goal with 6 seconds left in the second.

Wenninger notched his third goal 14 second into the third to give the Cardinals back their three goal cushion. Logan Norman made it 6-2 in favor of Luverne when he scored over a minute later.

Collin Buness picked up the Tigers third goal of the game to pull Princeton within three with 13 minutes left to play. Jake Green cut Luverne’s lead to two when he put one past Meyer 9 minutes, 27 seconds into the period.

However, Luverne’s Connor Hoffman scored with less than two minutes left to stop Princeton’s comeback.

Luverne 1 3 3 — 7

Princeton 1 1 2 — 4

M/BA 7, Windom Area 4

BENSON — Despite a hat trick by Devin Nielsen, the Windom Area Eagles fell to the Morris/Benson Area Storm Saturday.

The Storm outshot the Eagles 41-19, while Windom Area goalie Tyler McGowan made 34 saves on 40 shots on the night.

Morris/Benson Area scored the first two goals of the game, both in the first period to take a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Brody Gimberlin and Tanner Picht for the Storm.

Nielsen got the Eagles (8-5) on the board with a unassisted goal five minutes into the second frame, but Picht put two more goals past McGowan in the period to polish off a hat trick.

Nielsen scored two straight goals to start off the third period to pull the Eagles within a goal, but Picht scored his fourth goal of the game 6 minutes, 32 seconds into the period to give the Storm back their two point lead.

Stuart Schumacher netted the Eagles fourth and final goal of the game 3 minutes after Picht’s to make it 5-4 in favor of the Storm with less than eight minutes left in the final frame.

However, Morris/Benson Area picked up two more goals to close out the period and take the 7-4 win. Mac Beyer and Jordan Staples scored the last two goals for the Storm.

Windom Area 0 1 3 — 4

Morris/Benson 2 2 3 — 7

Tags: sports, prep, hockey, boys, luverne, windom