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No. 1 Benilde-St. Margaret's Tops No. 2 Minnetonka 4-2

01/27/2016, 9:30am CST
By Peter Odney

Team Effort Keeps Undefeated Season Alive for Red Knights

Benilde-St. Margaret’s forward Jacob Holmers scores in the third period of the Red Knights’ 4-2 win over Minnetonka. Credit: Peter Odney.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s forward Jacob Holmers scores in the third period of the Red Knights’ 4-2 win over Minnetonka. Credit: Peter Odney.

Even a win over the No. 2 ranked team in Class 2A can’t assuage Benilde-St. Margaret’s coach Ken Pauly’s disdain for mental mistakes.

“Those things, we’re really not pleased with,” Pauly said after his Red Knights, ranked No. 1 in the latest Class 2A coaches’ poll, edged Minnetonka 4-2 on Tuesday night at the St. Louis Park Recreation Center. “I really felt we gave up an awful lot of opportunities,” Pauly continued, adding that his team’ success doesn’t magnify those mistakes.

“When you’re winning, it doesn’t hurt, and that’s a problem,” Pauly said of his team’s miscues, which included an inopportune icing of the puck and a lack of aggression in the last minutes of the game.

Despite the “never satisfied” sentiment, the Red Knights (18-0-1) remain undefeated after Tuesday’s win, even with their top line held scoreless.

Junior forward Luke Horton scored a goal and added an assist, both in the third period, to give the Red Knights a 4-1. 

Luke Horton scores to give the Red Knights a 3-1 lead in Tuesday’s 4-2 win over the Skippers. Credit: Peter Odney.

Luke Horton scores to give the Red Knights a 3-1 lead in Tuesday’s 4-2 win over the Skippers. Credit: Peter Odney.

“Hockey is a game of momentum,” Horton said after the win. “As long as we can get the momentum back in our favor, we knew we could pull out a win.”

The momentum aspect of the game was on full display Tuesday night, with both teams employing a fast-paced, transition-heavy style that provided numerous scoring chances for each side.

Junior defenseman Connor Mayer and senior forwards Jacob Holmers and Yokosuka Shota each scored a goal apiece for the Red Knights, while freshman defenseman Grant Docter and senior forward Brendan Ryan scored for Minnetonka (14-6-0).

Red Knights’ junior goaltender Ryan Bischel made 25 saves in the victory.

The Red Knights are the only undefeated team in Minnesota, a mark that Pauly said is not an added burden on his team.

“Normally, I would say yes, it is a burden,” Pauly said. “But it really hasn’t been because right from day one, it really hasn’t been our focus.”

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Tag(s): State Of Hockey  News