Warriors split with Huskies

Published 9:37 pm Saturday, November 8, 2014

Artem Savelyev of Waldorf battles for the puck Saturday against St. Cloud State at Albert Lea City Arena. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

Artem Savelyev of Waldorf battles for the puck Saturday against St. Cloud State at Albert Lea City Arena. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

After outscoring its opponents 29-6 in five straight wins, the Waldorf men’s hockey team’s streak snapped against St. Cloud State.

The Warriors dismantled the Huskies 6-2 on Friday, but St. Cloud State evened the two-game series on Saturday by holding off Waldorf 3-2.

“We definitely need to learn from some of our mistakes tonight,” said Waldorf coach Brett Shelanski on Saturday. “Learn from it, look forward and move on. We have to look at it as a bump in the road.”

Email newsletter signup

The team that scored the first goal won both games.

On Friday, Dalton Kaake of Waldorf lit the lamp first. It was his first of three goals that put the Warriors up 3-1 at the end of the second period.

In the third period, Waldorf exploded with three more goals, two of which were assisted by Kaake. After assisting Kaake on his third goal, Jeff Bartel gave the Warriors a 4-1 lead on Reed Loucks’ second assist of the game. Brent Putney added the fifth goal, and Lane Sanderson scored the sixth.

In Saturday’s game, the Warriors faced a different goalie, Devon Dell, and had a hard time finding the net.

With 1:31 left in the first period, Aaron Iverson gave St. Cloud State a 1-0 lead.

Waldorf fought back five minutes into the second period as Matt Liggett drilled the equalizer.

However, the Huskies recaptured the lead less than a minute later and took a two-goal lead into the third period. St. Cloud State’s third goal found the net with a two-skater advantage. The first penalty of the second period was on the Huskies’ Danny Grant for hooking, but the next six penalties, all of which took place before St. Cloud State’s third goal, were on Waldorf.

The Warriors rallied halfway through the last period with a goal by Loucks. Waldorf pulled its goalie late in the game and didn’t give up any empty-net goals but was unable to tie the game.

After saving 30-of-32 shots on goal on Friday, Warriors’ goalie, Nicholas Carroll saved 33-of-36 shots on goal on Saturday.

“Nick made some big saves for us at key times,” Shelanski said. “He kept us in the game. He kept his composure. He was solid for us.”

Next, Waldorf will play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Midland College in Fremont, Neb.