SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus College men's hockey team battled the Saint John's University Johnnies at home on Friday night in a conference contest. The Gusties earned a hard-fought 5-4 overtime victory over the Johnnies with
Sam Rice scoring the game-winner to power Gustavus to their 12th win in a row, improving the Gusties to 14-5-1 overall and 9-2 in the MIAC.
Gustavus got out to a lightning-fast start as
Jack Wineman scored the opening goal of the game just four minutes in, assisted by
Grant Ellings and
Jackson McCarthy. Saint John's scored to tie the game with four minutes remaining in the opening period, but Wiseman struck back just 20 seconds later with his second of the game and third of the season to put the Gusties back on top, up 2-1.
John Johannson assisted with the go-ahead goal.
Just a minute after Wiseman regained the lead for Gustavus, Ellings doubled it with another Gustie goal, assisted by
Christian Miller and
Gregor Jennersjo. The goal was Ellings' ninth of the season; the second most for Gustavus this winter.
The Johnnies scored in the final two minutes of the first period to cut the Gusties' lead back down to one, but Gustavus still carried a 3-2 lead into the first intermission.
Saint John's rallied to take a 4-3 lead in the second period, scoring in the fifth and eighth minutes of the frame. The Gusties struck back with three and half minutes remaining in the second as
Jayar Luedke found the back of the net with McCarthy and Johannson assisting, tying the game at 4-4 before the second intermission. The goal was Luedke's fourth this winter.
The two rivals battled scoreless through the third period to force overtime, where Rice stole the puck from the Johnnies in their own zone and fired in his game-winner for his seventh goal of the season with just 49 seconds remaining to secure the victory.
The win gave Gustavus, at 23 points in the MIAC standings, a two-point lead over Saint John's and St. Olaf. The Gusties are currently one point behind Saint Mary's at the top of the conference with five games to go.
Up next for Gustavus is a road trip up to Collegeville to take on the Johnnies once more to close out the weekend series on Saturday, February 17 at 7:00 p.m.
