Red Knights win battle of The Park
BSM downs St. Louis Park
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. -- Zach Everett stopped 23 of 24 shots and Benilde-St. Margaret's won the Battle of St. Louis Park, defeating St. Louis Park, 4-1.
The win was a key victory for the Red Knights as they approach the Section 6AA playoffs next week, giving them wins in all three games versus section opponents this season.
The win came behind the strong goaltending effort of Everett, who stopped all 21 shots he faced in the first two periods, which gave BSM a chance to get out to a lead.
The went on top just two minutes, two seconds into the game when Michael McNeil found Brian Arnold in the slot a he ripped a shot past Oriole goalie Atticus Raasch for a 1-0 lead.
BSM made it a two-goal lead with 7:41 to play in the opening frame when Charlie Warnert won a faceoff in the first circle of the SLP zone. Jordan Roo threw the puck across to Nick Sims at the left point and his shot wound up in the back of the net.
The only goal of the second period came on the power-play during a scramble in front of the Oriole net. McNeil banged the puck off Raasch twice before Max Jablonski kicked the puck out and Nate Schweitzer proceeded to bury a shot for a three-goal lead.
SLP cut the lead to two goals on a third-period power play when Bauer Neudecker picked up the puck behind his own net, came up the left side, used his speed to get around the corner and then cut to the net, pulling the puck to his forehand before tucking it behind Everett.
The Red Knights got that goal back with 7:50 to play in the game when Jablonski passed the puck off the left-wing boards as he was being checked into the Oriole bench. Roo was the recipient off Jablonski's play and he turned and fired a shot from the slot to add a key insurance goal.
BSM will honor its seniors, Saturday, on Senior Night as they host Bloomington Jefferson in the regular-season finale, set for a 7 p.m. faceoff at the St. Louis Park Recreation Center.
Sunday, the seeds will be announced for the Section 6AA playoffs and the Red Knights will learn, at that time, the opponent and location for their quarterfinal game, which will be Thursday at 7 p.m.
The Section 6AA semifinals will be held at either the Bloomington Ice Garder or Braemar Arena, next Saturday, with the championship game slated for an 8 p.m. start, March 1, at Mariucci Arena.
