Staff photo by Ari Selvey Keaton Weston (15) from New ULM is fighting for the possession of the puck in a Big South Conference boys match against Loverne on Friday at the New Ulm Civic Center.
NEW ULM-Loverne scored four unanswered goals to erase an advance of 1-0 in New ULM and beat the Eagles 5-2 Friday evening in a male hockey match of the Big South Conference at the New Ulm Civic Center.
Landyn Lais scored two goals for the cardinals, at the top of the conference, who improved at 10-0 at a conference and 16-2 in total.
Carson Uecker scored the two goals for New ULM, which dropped to 9-8 in total and 6-3 at a conference.
Brody Nordby obtained two assists, Ian Brudelie and Kaden Klein each obtaining a decisive pass.
Loverne goalkeeper, Gavin Hoven, stopped 35 of the 37 New Ulm shots.
Jayden Grunst arrested 19 of the 23 fire from the Cardinals and Graham Glaser stopped four of the five Loverne shots.
“I think we played a good game overall” “Said the head coach of the new ULM, Ryan Neuman. “Their late goal at the end of the first period in a way removed our momentum while we brought them the ball in a way. We won a net and it ended and it ended to the other end – we made our only error in this first period, and she found herself at the bottom of our net.
Blake Sauer’s goal canceled Uecker’s goal to equalize the match after the first 17 minutes.
But that seemed to give Loverne a certain momentum when they scored two goals-including one in digital advantage-to take a 3-1 advance after two periods.
“I don’t think they took control during this (second) period”, Said Neuman. “We were a little more flat. It went back and forth and I think their late goal in the first period in a way removed our momentum.
Loverne used Will Bergman’s goal five minutes after the start of the third period to take an advance of 4-1 before Ucker scored his second goal of the match to bring the Eagles back to 4-2 to 7:01.
But all the momentum New Ulm could have drawn from Uecker’s goal was erased 27 seconds later by the second goal of Lais’s match and an advance of 5-2.
“They had two global goals – you don’t want to let them in – so we have to clean up certain things”, Said Neuman. “We have to score when we have our chances.”
New ULM was ineffective in digital advantage, with a 0-6 sheet with a digital advantage.
“Today, it was the first day of operation of a new unit (in digital advantage)”, Said Neuman. “I thought we had moved the washer well. We just have to generate more opportunities to score.
New ULM plays Providence Academy on Tuesday.