Red Knights extend win streak with three wins
BSM claims trio of wins at Tradition in the Park Holiday Hockey Classic
Blake Mesenburg had multiple points in all three games, tallying 11 points in the tournament.
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. -- For the first time since 1987, Benilde-St. Margaret's won all three of its games in a holiday tournament, going 3-0 at the Tradition in the Park Holiday Hockey Classic.
The 19th-ranked Red Knights' success came largely on the strength of its offense, which tallied 19 goals in a 5-3 win over Holy Family, a 6-3 win over No. 8 Wayzata, and a 6-4 win over Lakeville South.
The trio of wins extends BSM's winning streak to five games, during which time the Red Knights have averaged 5.6 goals and 37 shots on goal per game.
BSM was one of two teams to go 3-0 in the tournament with No. 1 Minnetonka also going unbeaten, and the two teams will return to action for the first time in the new year by facing each other, Thursday, in a 7 p.m. game at the Pagel Activity Center.
YOUTH IS SERVED
The Red Knights lineup this season features plenty of youth and four rookies made key contributions to the team's success in the Tradition.
Sophomore forward Jackson Bisson registered three assists in the win over Holy Family before scoring the eventual game-winning goal and adding an assist versus Holy Family. He then added an assist in Saturday's win over Lakevile South to cap a six-point tournament.
Linemate and freshman Adam Marshall scored just 48 seconds into the third period of Friday's win over the Trojans, giving his team a three-goal lead, following a first-period assist. He capped his weekend with a three-assist performance, including the primary assist on Blake Mesenburg's game-winning goal.
Nate Schweitzer scored two goals versus Holy Family to highlight a five-point weekend.
Freshmen defensemen Tristan Sarsland and Brady Yakesh both scored their first career goals in Saturday's win over South. Both also added an assist as each also recorded their first career multiple-point games.
CREATING A "MES"
Mesenburg created a mess for the Red Knights' opponents with a five-goal, 11-point performance in the team's three game.
He scored the game-tying goal on the power play and then added the game winner in Thursday's win over Holy Family. He also had the primary assists on both of Nate Schweitzer's scornd-period goals.
He repeated the two-goal, two assist performance the following night against Wayzata, sealing the victory with an unassisted empty-net goal while assisting on BSM's fourth and fifth goals.
He and Ian Bahr scored 18 seconds apart early in the third period to snap a 3-3 tie. Mesenburg's goal proved to be the game winner and he added two more assists, giving him 12 goals and 25 points in 12 games on the season.
DEFENSE GETS OFFENSIVE
The team's five regular defensemen contributed five goals and 11 points in the three games.
Co-captain Nate Schweitzer led the way with three goals and five points, His two goals allowed the Red Knights to tie Holy Family, 2-2, after falling behind by two goals after one period.
Seamus Foley had assists in the wins over Wayzata and Lakeville South while Sarsland and Yakesh also scored two points.
The only defenseman without a point on the weekend was sophomore James Callahan, who has not missed a game in his career, playing 38 consecutive games.
Although failing to register a point, Callahan led the Red Knights on the weekend by going +7 and averaging 25:59 of ice time, which included a team-best 26:24 versus Holy Family.
Cooper Gay scored key goals in the wins over Holy Family and Wayzata.
AN UNSUNG HERO
Cooper Gay has been an unsung hero for the Red Knights this season, scoring several key goals, something her did again over the weekend.
Thursday, with his team clinging to a one-goal lead, Gay muscled his way towards the Holy Family net and sealed the win with an empty-net goal to finish the 5-3 win.
The following night, he scored his sixth goal of the season, just 58 seconds into the game, to set off a three-goal BSM outburst to start the game.
DON'T FORGET THE GOALIES
When needed, BSM got big saves from goalie Carson Limesand and Jack Olson to support the wins.
Limesand stopped 20 shots to earn the victory of Holy Family and then made 32 saves, including stopping 26 of 28 shots over the final two periods, in defeating Wayzata.
Olson, who got his third start of the season, made 22 saves to win his third consecutive game, to collect the win over Lakeville South
