Benilde-St. Margaret's Boys' Hockey

Benilde-St. Margaret's had just two days to rebound from a tough, two-goal loss St. Thomas Academy.

The third-ranked Red Knights responded with a convincing 5-1 win over sixth-ranked Minnetonka, scoring three times in the opening period to grab control of the game early.

Hoping to take control of the game from the start, BSM turned to its all-time scoring leader Grant Besse, who gave the Red Knights a 2-0 less than eight minutes into the contest.

His first goal came 3:18 into the contest when Dan Labosky forced a turnover behind the Minnetonka goal. He moved to the left side and made a pass to Besse coming out of the right faceoff circle who buried shot from the middle of the slot.

BSM went on the power at 7:18 of the opening frame and it took Besse just 27 seconds to lgith the lamp again as Spencer Nass won a race to a loose puck along the left-wing boards. He backhanded a pass to Johnny Austin at the left point who quickly moved the puck to Labosky at the right point.

Labosky wasted no time in getting the puck to Besse, stationed beneath the right circle near the right-wing boards. He one-timed Labosky's pass and beat Minnetonka goalie Paul Ciaccio to the short side from a severe angle for his 25th goal of the season.

Less than three minutes later, it was the Skippers' turn to go on the power play but it was the Red Knights would took advantage of the situation.

Labosky intercepted a cross-ice pass in the neutral zone to start a 2-on-1 with Nass.

Labosky's pass from the left circle failed to give Naas a shot but the BSM junior center circle into the right corner, picked up the loose puck and skated to the middle of the ice, while moving left, shot across Ciaccio's body to beat him love on the glove side.

The 3-0 score remained for nearly a full period until Naas struck again with 5:20 to play in the second period when Besse forced a turnover on the left side of the Minnetonka blueline.

Labosky chipped the puck into the Skippers zone where Naas picked up the puck at the top of the left circle, went around a defenseman and lifted a backhand shot into the upper-left corner.

The score would change again less than three minutes later Nick Austin took a punishing hit behind his own net but not before getting the puck started up ice for Ben Newhouse.

A cross-ice pass by Newhouse hit Evan Fleming in the neutral zone he carried the puck to into the left faceoff circle in the Minnetonka zone before making a centering pass which Chase Jungels tipped home for a 5-0 lead.

BSM had a 17-6 advantage in shots on goal while dominating much of the second period and went to hold a 36-25 advantage for the game.

Andrew Sprang earned his 10th win of the season by turning aside 24 of the 25 shots he faced.

A busy week for the Red Knights begins Tuesday with a 7:30 p.m. game at 17th-ranked Mounds View. They will follow that by returning home, Thursday for a 7 p.m. game with Rochester Century before finishing the week, Saturday with a 1 p.m. game versus 13th-ranked Grand Rapids.

The final game of the week, slated to take place outdoors on Lake Pokegema in Grand Rapids, which be one of the featured game's on Fox Sports North's Hockey Day in Minnesota.