Section rival Tigers slip past Eagles

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- The New Ulm boys hockey team knew how big Tuesday's game against section rival Albert Lea was.

With playoff seedings on the line, the Eagles came in wanting to play physical for three periods, but instead let Albert Lea play better in the second period as the Tigers scored twice.

The Tigers held on to win 2-0 in nonconference action at the New Ulm Civic Center.

"We didn't take the body, and we've been saying the whole time we gotta take the body," New Ulm coach Tom Macho said. "Every time we had a chance to take the body, we didn't."

Evan Long stopped 32 shots for the Tigers, including a magnificent play that saw Jeff Schnobrich steal the puck at mid-ice and skate free on the breakaway. Long made the stop to keep the Eagles scoreless with 9:08 left in the third period.

"Jeff Schnobrich is just having one heckuva last couple of weeks," Macho said. "I think he's had eight or nine breakaways in the last three games, and he hasn't capitalized on one. It's just killing him.

"Had we put one of those away, I think it would have shifted the momentum, because we really did change the momentum towards the end of the game."

Macho knew his team had to play tough all three periods and felt coming into the game that his team matched up with the Tigers.

"We looked at all the comparative scores, and we should have been there right there with them," Macho said. "It should have been and up-and-down the rink type of game, but we kind of let them dominate the game in the second period."

The teams played to a scoreless first period as Albert Lea outshot the Eagles 11-6. Jon Breuer nearly gave Albert Lea an early lead, but his shot hit the post with 12:20 left. Schnobrich was stuffed by Long less than two minutes later on a breakaway, and later Schnobrich's backhand shot was gloved with 6:15 remaining.

The Tigers needed less than a minute to take the lead in the second period when Tony Dugstad's wrister sailed over the glove of New Ulm goalie Tyler Zollner to make it 1-0 with 16:01 remaining.

The Tigers continued to attack as Breuer got a loose puck and beat everyone down the ice. He faked right, then left, and went right to put the Tigers up 2-0.

"The second goal goal in particular, we thought we could poke it away, and instead he just slipped through us," Macho said. "Body work was the name of the game tonight."

The Eagles nearly scored on a one-timer from Adam Macho, but Long fell on the loose puck. Then, the Eagles had a goal taken away from them after the play was whistled dead with 4:08.

In the third period, the Eagles nearly scored again, but the shot rolled around before Long fell on it just before it crossed the red line.

"We had our chances," Macho said. "It wasn't that we were out of the game completely, we just didn't put the puck in."

Zollner had 30 saves. Albert Lea outshot the Eagles 32-27.

New Ulm (7-6-1) faces another tough section foe at New Prague Friday.