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Western Michigan gains split Saints men hockey with 3-2 win

Posted 10/14/12

Western Michigan defenseman Garrett Harr snapped a 2-2 tie with his second goal of the weekend with 5:27 left in regulation time, lifting the nationally ranked Broncos to a 3-2 win over St. Lawrence …

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Western Michigan gains split Saints men hockey with 3-2 win

Posted

Western Michigan defenseman Garrett Harr snapped a 2-2 tie with his second goal of the weekend with 5:27 left in regulation time, lifting the nationally ranked Broncos to a 3-2 win over St. Lawrence and to a split of the weekend non-league series between the two teams.

The Broncos, ranked seventh in one poll and ninth in the other, trailed 2-1 heading into the third period despite a 26-12 edge in shots on goal, but rallied as defenseman Dan DeKeyser pounced on a loose puck and snapped it inside the post to tie it at 8:13 and then Harr, who scored the game tying goal to force overtime in Friday's 4-3 Saint win, netted the game winner on the power play just over six minutes later.

The Saints, now 1-1, had to weather a first period storm and fell behind early as freshman Nolan LaPorte scored on a power play shot from right in front over Saint goalie Matt Weninger's shoulder just 2:41 into play. Weninger argued that he had been interfered with by a WMU player in the crease, but after a lengthy video review the goal was ruled good.

The 1-1 Broncos kept the pressure on in the first period, forcing Saint coach Greg Carvel to call an early time out midway through the period to try to slow WMU down. The Saints regrouped, came out of the period without further scoring thanks to 13 stops by Weninger and then grabbed the lead in the second period.

Senior captain Kyle Flanagan scored his second goal of the weekend as he took a pass from Justin Baker in the short slot and whipped a shot past WMU goalie Frank Slubowski with George Hughes also assisting on a power play at 5:13 and then Flanagan scored his second of the night and third o fthe weekend as his power play shot went off Slubowski's pads and just trickled into the back of the net from Greg Carey and Chris Martin.

The Bronco's mounted some pressure early in the third and DeKeyser capitalized on a loose puck and traffic in front as he pinched in and put the puck inside the near post to tie it at 8:13 of the third from Mike Cichy and Luke Witkowski and Harr scored the eventual game winner as he walked in from the point and shot from the faceoff dot, putting the puck over Weninger's shoulder at 14:33 on a power play.

Weninger finished with 39 saves for the Saints, who were outshot 42-19 with SLU going two for seven on the power play and WMU two for six. Slubowski finished with 17 saves for the Broncos.

The Saints will return to action with another tough non-league road set, playing two at Maine Oct. 19 and 20.