South stuns Eagles, 6-4

By PAUL DUNLAP

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- Too much emotion got the better of the New Ulm boys hockey team Tuesday night.

Minneapolis South scored four straight goals in the third period, the first three coming on the power play, as the Tigers overcame the Eagles 6-4 in nonconference action at Vogel Arena.

New Ulm, now 12-2 on the season, will host Becker/Big Lake in a make-up game Friday, 7:30 p.m.

"They (South) intimidated us with a lot of the tactics they did," Eagle coach Tom Macho said. "They really played a different clutch-and-grab game than we're used to ... I guess they beat us. Scorewise, they beat us."

The Tigers had New Ulm on its heels for almost the entire first period, but goalie Isaac Forstner came up with some big saves to keep the game as close as it was -- 1-0 on Peter Sylvestre's goal at 5:18.

"I can't say our kids played bad," Macho said. "But they just didn't play as well as we've seen them play this season."

A defensive breakdown led to Cole Koidahl's goal at :19 of the second period, and the Eagles were desperately in need of a wake-up call.

Jamie Hoffmann provided it.

He got New Ulm going as he set up Brenton Clyne's goal at 1:01, and then really got the crowd going as he scored on a breakaway at the 6:33 mark -- the Eagles were two men down at the time.

"We did some nice things tonight," Macho said. "Things that got us back in the game when it didn't look so good early."

The momentum had definitely switched to the home side at that point, and Chris Reinarts gave New Ulm its first lead of the game at 1:27 of the third off an assist from Nate Richter. It looked as though the Eagles dodged a bullet as Brandon Rolloff got his team's second short-handed goal of the night, unassisted at 5:48, for a 4-2 lead.

New Ulm was goaded into penalties throughout the game, and the Tigers used that same power play to cut the lead on Thai Lui's goal at 6:36. Two more goals on the man advantage -- by Koidahl at 8:08 and Matt Green at 10:05 -- gave South the lead for good. John Benson would add some insurance at 11:49 off Green's assist.

"This is a wake-up call for us," Macho said. "At least when we come to practice now we know we have to work harder. Nothing's going to come easy from here on out."

Forstner would end with 29 saves on the night. South's Mason Reinhart stopped 19 of 23 shots.

The New Ulm junior varsity fared much better Tuesday, routing the Tigers 5-1. Pat Wenk scored a pair of goals to lead the Eagles, with Tyson Anderson, Julian Luetmer and Nathan Rodewald adding the others. Scott Roiger had a pair of assists, with one each going to Anderson, Adam Fromm and Luetmer. Goalie Jeremy Mueller stopped 12 of 13 shots on net.

SOUTH 1 1 4--6

NEW ULM 0 2 2--4

FIRST PERIOD

MS-Peter Sylvestre (Alex Berry, James Dahlager) 5:18.

SECOND PERIOD

MS-Cole Koidahl (unassisted) :19; NU-Brenton Clyne (Jamie Hoffmann, Travis Thorson) 1:01; NU-Hoffmann (unassisted) SH 6:33.

THIRD PERIOD

NU-Chris Reinarts (Nate Richter) 1:27; NU-Brandon Rolloff (unassisted) SH 5:48; MS-Thai Lui (Matt Green, Koidahl) PP 6:36; MS-Koidahl (John Benson) PP 8:08; MS-Green (Dave Woldum, Koidahl) PP 10:05; MS-Benson (Green) 11:49.

Penalties: South 8-for-16, New Ulm 10-for-20; Saves: South (Mason Reinhart) 6-2-11 -- 19, New Ulm (Isaac Forstner) 8-13-8 -- 29.