Eagles skate to victory

By PAUL DUNLAP

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- The New Ulm Eagles received some votes for this week's Class 1A state boys hockey poll.

Thursday night, they showed why.

Travis Thorson and Brent Clyne scored third-period goals and goaltender Gary Wurtzberger made it hold up as the Eagles defeated second-ranked Rochester Lourdes 4-3 at Vogel Arena.

New Ulm, now 9-1 on the season, will host Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato Saturday in a 3 p.m. matchup. Lourdes falls to 10-2 on the season.

"What a win for us," coach Tom Macho said. "These guys (Lourdes) come in rated second in the state, and ... wow, this is just huge for our kids. (Lourdes) is a very good team, but our kids just had heart tonight and gave it everything they had. I don't know if we're as good as they are, but we played harder tonight."

The Eagles would jump out to an early lead, getting the fans in the game as Clyne beat Lourdes goalie Dan Smith at the 2:23 mark of the first off assists from Thorson and Jamie Hoffmann. It would be the only goal of the stanza for the Eagles as Lourdes dominated the rest of the period, taking the lead on goals from Marcus Reszke and Adam Dahl just 34 seconds apart midway through the period.

"We just said, 'guys, you lost your composure and you don't have your confidence ... get it back,'" Macho said. "We're a good enough team, but we fell apart later on in (both the first and second) periods. I just wanted them to go out and have some fun."

The game was very physical throughout, with the two teams combining for 21 penalties -- 10 of those for roughing.

"After playing this (past) weekend at Blake (tournament), we kind of expected it," Macho said of the physical play. "We learned something from that tournament, and we're able to play that style if we need to."

Penalties led directly to both second-period goals. The Eagles knotted the game at 4:16 on Thorson's power-play goal, only to see Lourdes come back later in the period on Kevin Huck's goal on a man advantage at the 12:37 mark.

New Ulm was still down a goal entering the third and was desperate for a spark.

Thorson provided it. He came in all alone on Smith at the 2:48 mark, getting the goalie on his side before sliding the puck past him into the net. Clyne would then score at 4:46 on an unassisted goal of his own, and the Eagles had their first lead since the opening minutes.

There were 10 minutes still left on the clock, but Wurtzberger was up to the challenge as he stopped 10 shots -- many from point-blank range -- as the Eagles held on for the victory. Wurtzberger ended with 35 saves on 38 shots.

"Before the game we had the two (goalies) in for a meeting, and we still weren't sure who we were going to start," Macho said. "Isaac (Forstner) said to Gary, 'you have more experience with this team and I think you'll do better ... I'll go Saturday (against LDC).' So Gary went in and played another outstanding game, a super game."

The Eagle junior varsity didn't fare as well, falling to Lourdes 4-1. Nathan Rodewald got the lone New Ulm goal, assisted by Tyler Hirth. Jeremy Mueller stopped 19 of 23 shots in goal.

LOURDES 2 1 0 -- 3

NEW ULM 1 1 2 -- 4

FIRST PERIOD

NU-Brent Clyne (Travis Thorson, Jamie Hoffmann) 2:23; RL-Marcus Reszke (Jake Taylor, Adam Dahl) 6:19; RL-Dahl (Adam Gill, Taylor) 6:53.

SECOND PERIOD

NU-Thorson (Hoffmann, Clyne) PP 4:16; RL-Kevin Huck (Reszke, Mike Lewler) PP 12:37.

THIRD PERIOD

NU-Thorson (unassisted) 2:48; NU-Clyne (unassisted) 4:46.

Saves -- Lourdes (Dan Smith) 10-6-12 -- 28, NU (Gary Wurtzberger) 13-12-10 -- 35.