Falcons Lose at UWS in NCHA Semifinals

Feb. 26, 2005

The season came to an end for the Falcon men’s hockey team on Saturday, losing 6-2 to UW-Superior in the NCHA semifinals. The Falcons end the season with a record of 17-9-2. After tying the game early in the second period, the Falcons gave up four unanswered goals to end the game. The Yellowjackets will travel to St. Norbert next Saturday to take on the Green Knights in the NCHA Championship game.

The Falcons got off to a bad start in the game by immediately getting themselves in the penalty box. Superior was able to capitalize and took a 1-0 lead early in the first. The Falcons responded though, getting a goal from senior Marc-Andre Lalande with one second left on a 5-on-3 power play. Freshman Matt Jackson got the assist on the goal. The Falcons looked to be in good shape late in the period when the Yellowjackets gave them another power-play opportunity, but Superior scored a short-handed goal to take a 2-1 lead at the end of one.

Jackson scored a goal off a pass from senior Steve Moe three minutes into the second period to tie it up, but that was as close as it would get. The Yellowjackets scored twice in the second period and twice in the third to cap a 6-2 victory.

Junior goalie Andy Scanlon had 28 saves for the Falcons, but gave up six goals for the second game in a row. The Falcons out shot the Yellowjackets 39-34, but lost the special teams battle giving up three goals on just seven attempts as well as a short-handed goal.

The Falcons lose six seniors, but will return three of the top five scorers and both of their goalies. Scoring leader Garrett Larson will be lost, as well Lalande, the team's top defensemen, and Moe, the team captain.

Falcons Advance to NCHA Semifinals After Minigame Win Over UW-Stout

Feb. 19, 2005

The Falcon men’s hockey team lost 6-4 in the second game of their first round playoff match up with Stout, but prevailed, 2-1, in the mini game to move on to the NCHA semifinals.

The Blue Devils dominated the first period of the game, taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. The second period was a different story however, with the Falcons netting three goals. Freshman Tyler Dahl got the scoring started for the Falcons with a goal just two minutes into the period. He was assisted by senior Garrett Larson. Sophomore Jared Sailer tied things up just one minute later with an unassisted goal. Then senior Steve Moe gave the Falcons the lead with seven minutes left in the period off a pass from freshman Matt Jackson. The third period unfortunately, was much like the first, with the Blue Devils scoring three straight goals to take a 5-3 lead. The Falcons got one back with a power-play goal by junior Aaron Degerness, but an empty-netter by the Blue Devils gave them the 6-4 victory. Junior goalie Andy Scanlon finished with just 23 saves.

The mini-game began just 15 minutes after the end of the game and the Falcons struck first. Larson scored on the power play to give UW-RF the 1-0 lead. He was assisted by Dahl. Larson put the game away with under a minute to go with an empty net goal. The Blue Devils scored with 12 seconds to go to make it 2-1, but that was as close as they would get. Scanlon had 10 saves for the Falcons in the mini-game. The Falcons had 18 shots.

The Falcons advanced to the semifinals of the NCHA Peters Cup playoffs and will travel to Superior on Friday for a one-game playoff with the Yellowjackets. The game will get underway at 7 p.m. Other first round winners were St. Norbert and Lake Forest. St. Norbert will host Lake Forest in the other semifinal.

Falcons Shutout Stout 4-0; Take 1-0 Lead

Feb. 18, 2005

The Falcon men’s hockey team beat UW-Stout 4-0 in the first game of the first round of the NCHA playoffs. They will try to end the series tommorow night with either a win or tie.

The Falcons were lead by junior goaltender Andy Scanlon, who got his second shutout of the year, with 39 saves. Sophomore Joe Tiberio got the scoring started for the Falcons with a goal midway through the first period. He was assisted on the play by fellow sophomores Andy Jurek and Jared Sailer. Garrett Larson scored his twentieth goal of the season just 25 seconds later, unassisted. Senior Tony sikich scored a power-play goal for the Falcons with 10 seconds left in the second period to give the Falcons a 3-0 lead. He was assisted by frehmen Tyler Dahl and Jason Usher. Dahl added a goal of his own late in the third period, off an assist by freshman Joe Adams, to complete the 4-0 victory.

The Falcon defense and special teams stepped up, shutting out the Blue Devils on seven power-play opportunities. UW-RF outshot Stout 42-39 and went 1-for-4 on their own power-play.

The teams will finish the series tommorow night at Hunt Arena. If the Falcons can get a win or a tie they will advance to the next round. If the Blue Devils win, the two teams will face off in a twenty minute mini-game immediatly following the first game to determine the series. The puck will drop at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Top UWEC; Will Host UW-Stout in NCHA Playoffs

Feb. 12, 2005

The Falcon men’s hockey team beat UW-Eau Claire, 5-1, Saturday night at Hunt Arena and will now host UW-Stout on Friday and Saturday in the first round of the NCHA Peters Cup playoffs.

The Falcons finished third in the final NCHA standings and will host sixth seeded Stout at 7:05 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Other first round games have Eau Claire (8) going to St. Norbert (1), St. Scholastica (7) traveling to Superior (2) and Lake Forest (5) at Stevens Point (4).

The Falcons, now 16-7-2 overall and 9-5-0 in the NCHA, ended their regular season in style with the win over UWEC. UWRF led 1-0 after one and 4-0 after two. Aaron Degerness opened the scoring with a goal at 12:34 of the first period. He was assisted by Garrett Larson. The Falcons blew the game open with three second period goals. Larson scored with assists to Degerness and Tyler Dahl at 5:58. At 12:44 Tony Sikich scored a power-play goal with assists to Dahl and Larson. Sikich came back with his second goal of the game, at 19:56. It was another power-play goal and he was assisted by Dahl and Jared Sailer. In the third, UWEC made it a 4-1 game with a goal at 2:46. But the Falcons got that back at 16:15 when Wade Harstad scored with assists to Matt Jackson and Steve Moe. UWEC ended the scoring with a power-play goal at 17:42. There wrere 25 penalties called in the game - UWRF had 11 for 33 minutes and UWEC had 14 for 36. The Falcons finished 2-8 on the power play and UWEC was 1-5.

Falcon goalie Andy Scanlon made 21 saves to get the win and improve his record to 7-4-2 overall. The Falcons had a season high 53 shots on goal, including 25 in the second period.

The four NCHA first round winners will meet in semifinal games, at the site of the highest remaining seeded teams, on Feb. 26. The NCHA Finals is set for March 5, at the site of the highest remaining seeded team. The first round series are best two out of three games with the use of a minigame if needed.

Falcons Get Revenge Against Stevens Point

Feb. 11, 2005

The Falcon men’s hockey team needed a win against UW-Stevens Point on Friday night to keep a hold on third place in the NCHA. Freshman Wade Harstad and Tyler Dahl made sure that they did, each scoring two goals in a 5-2 victory against the Pointers, who beat the Falcons earlier this year in Stevens Point.

The Pointers scored just three minutes into the game and it looked like it was going to be a long night for the Falcons, but halfway through the period they had an offensive outburst. Harstad started it, scoring a goal off a pass from senior Steve Moe. A little over one minute later sophomore Aaron Venasky put the Falcons in the lead with a goal off assists from senior Marc-Andre Lalande and junior Jared Sailer.

In the second period the Pointers pulled even on a power-play goal. The Falcons had many quality scoring chances, but were unable to capitalize.

The dam burst in the third period, with the Falcons scoring three goals and breaking the game open. Harstad opened up the scoring again with a goal exactly one minute into the period. He was assisted on the goal by Dahl. Dahl put the game away with four minues left in the game scoring wo power-play goals in 30 seconds. He was assisted on the first goal by senior Tony Sikich and freshman Jason Usher. Sikich and junior Aaron Degerness assisted on the second goal.

Junior goalie Andy Scanlon had 19 saves in the win for the Falcons, who clinched a home playoff series tonight and can clinch third place in the NCHA with a win/tie tommorow against Eau Claire or a loss/tie for Lake Forest either tonight or tommorow. The regular season finale tommorow night against Eau Claire will begin at 7:05.

Falcons Fall 3-2 at Lake Forest

Feb. 5, 2005

The Falcon men’s hockey team lost their second straight game on Saturday night in Lake Forest. The Falcons lead 2-1 early in the second period, but were unable to hold off the Foresters, who got the 3-2 win. Despite outshooting Lake Forest 36-27, UW-RF lost the second game of the road trip, and fell to 14-7-2, 7-5 in the NCHA.

The Falcons got on the board first with a goal by freshman Matt Jackson late in the first period. He was assisted on the goal by fellow freshman Wade Harstad and senior Tony Sikich. The Foresters struck back early in the second period, but freshman Tyler Dahl put the Falcons back in the lead just 30 seconds later. Senior Garrett Larson and junior Aaron Degerness got the assists on the goal. Unfortunatley this was all the offense the Falcons would get. Lake Forest tied it later in the second and took the lead in the opening minute of the third to get the 3-2 victory.

The went 0-5 on the power-play, while allowing the Foresters one power-play goal on four opportunities. Junior goalie Dan Meneghin had 24 saves for the Falcons in the loss.

The Falcons wrap up the regular season at home next weekend with games against Stevens Point and Eau Claire. On Friday night the Pointers will be at Hunt Arena and on Saturday night it will be the Blugolds. Both games get underway at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Fall to St. Norbert, 5-0

Feb. 4, 2005

The Falcon men’s hockey team had their chance to prove that they had gotten past their early season inconsistencies with a victory at St. Norbert. Unfortunately, the Falcons were unable to take advantage, losing 5-0 against the Green Knights. Freshman Kyle Jones shut out the Falcons and defenseman Andrew Derton scored a hat trick to lead the Knights on the offensive end.

The two teams played to a stalemate in the first period, but a barrage of penalties by the Falcons lead to three Norbert goals in the first half of the second period. The Knights tacked on one more in the second period and another in the third to complete the 5-0 victory. Junior goalie Andy Scanlon, coming off a week where he was named the player of the week in the NCHA, took the loss for the Falcons.

The Falcons will travel to Lake Forest tomorrow night to take on the Foresters at 7:30. The Falcons drop to 14-6-2 (7-4 NCHA) on the year.

Falcons Top Undefeated UWS, 2-0

Jan. 29, 2005

The Falcon men's hockey team beat previously undefeated UW-Superior, 2-0, Saturday night at Hunt Arena.

It was the second straight 2-0 win for the Falcons. UWRF beat St. Scholastica on Friday night at Hunt Arena.

After a scoreless first period the Falcons scored both of their goals in the second. Steve Moe got the first at 1:37 with an assist to Jason Usher. It was Moe's third goal of the year. At 3:52 the Falcons got an insurance goal when Matt Jackson scored a power-play goal with assists to Tony Sikich and Josh Hansen. It was Jackson's eighth goal of the season and third power-play goal of the year.

Falcon goalie Andy Scanlon made 36 saves to get his first shutout of the season and the fourth of his Falcon career. He had 10 saves in the first period, 14 in the second and 12 in the third. UWRF had 31 shots on goal.

The Falcons, now 14-5-2 overall and 7-3-0 in the NCHA, will play at St. Norbert on Friday with action starting at 7:05 p.m. SNC is in first place in the NCHA.

Falcons Tough It Out Against Scholastia

Jan. 28, 2005

The Falcon men's hockey team dominated against St. Scholastica on Friday night, but was able to tally just two goals. Fortunatley, junior goalie Dan Meneghin shut out the Saints and the Falcons improved their record to 13-5-2 (6-3 NCHA).

The Falcons struck midway through the first period with a goal from freshman Josh Hansen. Freshman Tyler Dahl and senior Garrett Larson assisted him on the goal. The rest of the game the Falcons kept firing the shots at Saints goalie Tyler Johnson, but he stopped everything they gave him. Late in the third period the emotions erupted on both sides with five players getting major penalties. The Falcons took advantage of the opportunity and Dahl put one Johnson with five seconds left for the 2-0 victory. Freshman Matt Jackson and Wade Harstad had the assists on the play.

The Falcons will be back in action tommorow night when Superior, the number two team in the nation, comes to Hunt Arena. The Yellowjackets took care of the Falcons 4-1 in Superior last weekend. The puck will drop at 7:05.

Falcons Get Come From Behind Win

Jan. 22, 2005

The Falcons men's hockey trailed 2-1 after two periods, but came back to earn a 4-2 win at St. Scholastica Saturday night.

The game was tied 1-1 after one and CSS led 2-1 after two.

CSS opened the scoring when Jason Murray scored at 10:46 of the first period. But the Falcons came back just one minute later when Garrett Larson scored with an assist to Tyler Dahl. It was Larson's team leading 18th goal of the season. CSS took a 2-1 lead with the only second period goal that came at 14:20. Curtis Markewich scored the power-play goal. The Falcons tied the game early in the third. Jason Usher scored his third goal of the season just 25 seconds into the period. He was assisted by Matt Jackson and Marc-Andre Lalande. The Falcons took the lead for good at 6:05 when Wade Harstad scored an unassisted goal - it was his second goal of the season. The Falcons put the game out of reach when Tony Sikich scored with assists to Murphy Dwyer and Lalande. It was Sickich's seventh tally of the season.

Falcon goalie Andy Scanlon made 12 saves and the Falcons launched 49 shots on goal, including 20 in the first period.

The Falcons, now 12-5-2 overall and 5-3-0 in the NCHA, will host St. Scholastica on Friday at Hunt Arena. Action starts at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Lose, 4-1, at UWS

Jan. 21, 2005

The Falcons men's hockey team fell behind 4-0, and lost a 4-1 decision at UW-Superior Friday night.

UWS led 1-0 after one period and 4-0 after two. UWS scored two power play goals in the second period to break the game open. UWS scored three goals in the first 4:46 of the second period. They scored a power play goal at 1:09 and an even strength goal just 31 seconds later. They added a power play goal at 4:46. The Falcons got on the scoreboard at 5:47 of the third period. Tony Sikich scored with assists to Jim Henkemeyer and Matt Jackson. It was Sickich's sixth goal of the year.

Dan Meneghin started in goal for the Falcons and worked the first 24:46 and allowed all of the UWS goals. He made 12 saves. Andy Scanlon finished the game and stopped all 15 shots he faced. The Falcons had 32 shots on goal.

The Falcons, now 11-5-2 overall and 4-3-0 in the NCHA, will play at St. Scholastica on Saturday in another NCHA game. Action starts at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Lose, 3-2, to St. Norbert

Jan. 15, 2005

The Falcons men's hockey team dropped a 3-2 NCHA decision to St. Norbert Saturday night at Hunt Arena.

The game was tied 1-1 after one and 2-2 after two. SNC scored first, at 3:52 of the opening period when Lonny Forrester scored. The Falcons tied the game at 18:46 when Jared Sailer scored with assists to Garrett Larson and Tony Sikich. The Falcons took a 2-1 lead at 1:09 of the second period. Sailer scored his second of the game with the Falcons on the power play. It was his fifth goal of the year and he was assisted by Larson and Tyler Dahl. SNC tied the game, 2-2, at 12:43 of the period when Marc Belanger scored. SNC got the only goal of the third period, at 11:01, when Jon Schultz scored.

Falcon goalie Andy Scanlon made 39 saves, including 20 in the first period when the Falcons were outshot, 21-13. UWRF had 37 shots on goal.

The Falcons, now 11-4-2 overall and 4-2-0 in the NCHA, will play at Superior on Friday with action starting at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Top LFC, 3-2, in OT

Jan. 14, 2005

Tony Sikich scored the game winner in overtime to help the Falcon men's hockey team to a 3-2 win over Lake Forest Friday night at Hunt Arena.

There was no scoring in the first period and the teams were tied, 1-1, after two. LFC got on the scoreboard at 18:27 of the second period when Ryan Pana scored. It took the Falcons just 19 secodns to tie the game. Garrett Larson got the goal, his team leading 17th of the year, with assist ot Aaron Degerness and Tyler Dahl. At 3:11 of the third, the Falcons took a 2-1 lead when Dahl scored with assists to Matt Jackson and Larson. It was Dahl's sixth goal of the year. But LFC tied the game up at 6:25 when Robin Chara scored. That set up Sikcih's winner at 2:06 of the overtime period. He was assisted by Jackson. It was Sikich's fifth goal of the season.

UWRF goalie Dan Meneghin made 34 saves to improve his record to 8-1-0 on the year. The Falcons had 30 shots on goal, including three in overtime.

The Falcons, now 11-3-2 overall and 4-1-0 in the NCHA, will host St. Norbert in another NCHA game on Saturday at Hunt Arena. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Win, 8-2, at Marian; Earn Sweep

Jan. 8, 2005

The Falcon men’s hockey team topped Marian, 8-2 on Saturday, to get a sweep of the two game series.

The Falcons led 1-0 after one and 5-1 after two. The eight goals is a season high.

Steve Moe and Aaron Degerness both scored twice to lead the Falcons. Degerness scored at 2:56 of the first period to give the Falcons the lead. Moe scored the next two UWRF goals in the second period, at 5:50 and 11:04. The goals were Moe's first of the year. The Falcons went ahead, 4-0, at 13:56 when Jared Sailer scored his third goal of the year. MC scored a power-pay goal at 15:10, but Degerness answered that with a power-play goal at 18:20. It was his 10th goal of the year. In the third, Garrett Larson scored his team leading 16th goal of the year to put UWRF ahead, 6-1. MC got to within 6-2 with a goal at 13:14. But Tyler Dahl scored his fifth goal of the year at 15:27 and Matt Jackson scored his seventh of the year at 16:52 to end the scoring.

UWRF goalies Andy Scanlon (15) and Grant Van Wyngeeren (7) combined to make 22 saves. The Falcons had 54 shots on goal.

The Falcons, now 10-3-2 overall and 3-1-0 in the NCHA, will return to NCHA play on Friday when they host Lake Forest at Hunt Arena. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Win at Marian, 6-2

Jan. 7, 2005

The Falcon men’s hockey team picked up a 6-2 win at Marian College on Friday night.

UWRF led 3-1 after one period and 4-1 after two. The Falcons got goals from six players. Vince Pulera started the scoring for the Falcons with a goal at 5:28 of the first period. It was his second goal of the year. MC tied the game with a power-play goal at 12:17. The Falcons took a 2-1 lead at 12:51 when Garrett Larson scored his team high 15th goal of the year. Before the period was over the Falcons took a 3-1 lead when Matt Jackson scored a power-play goal at 17:22. It was his sixth goal of the year and his second power-play goal of the season.

The Falcons scored the only goal of the second period at 8:46. Jason Usher scored his second goal of the year with the Falcons on the power-play. At 8:38 of the third the Falcons went ahead, 5-1, when Tony Sikich scored his fourth goal of the year. MC got a goal at 12:28, but the Falcons got it back at 16:15 when Nate Hansen scored his second goal of the season. Larson picked up two assists in the game. The Falcons finished 2-6 on the power play.

Falcon goalie Dan Meneghin made 21 saves to pick up the win, he is now 7-1 this year. The Falcons had 35 shots on goal. Marian is now 5-9-2 overall.

The Falcons, now 9-3-2 overall, will play again at Marian on Saturday with the puck dropping at 7 p.m.

Falcons Lose to St. Olaf, 5-2

Jan. 4, 2005

The Falcon men’s hockey team started the 2005 portion of its season with a 5-2 loss to St. Olaf Tuesday night at Hunt Arena.

St. Olaf led 2-1 after one and 3-2 after two. With SO leading, 1-0, Aaron Degerness tied the game at 12:08 of the first period with a power-play goal. Marc-Andre Lalande and Jason Usher assisted. The Falcons tied the game, 2-2, at 14:54 of the second period when Tyler Dahl scored with assists to Garrett Larson and Degerness. But that's as close as the Falcons could come. St. Olaf took a 3-2 lead with a power-play goal at 16:33 of the second period. They added goals at :55 and 11:46 of the third period to get the win. SO is now 4-3-2 overall.

Falcon goalie Andy Scanlon took the loss and made 25 saves. SO goalie Jeff Wilde stopped 30 shots. UWF was out shot the in the first period, 16-5, but won that battle in the other two periods, 14-11 and 13-3. Both teams were 1-2 on the power play.

The Falcons, now 8-3-2 overall, will play a weekend series at Marian. Friday's game starts at 7:30 p.m.

Falcons Complete the Weekend Sweep

Dec. 11, 2004

The Falcon men’s hockey team won 4-1 in Menomonie on Saturday night to complete a weekend sweep of UW-Stout.

The Falcons also got their first hat-trick of the season from senior Garrett Larson. Larson has 15 goals on the year, which matches the total that the top Falcon player had at the end of last year. Junior goalie Dan Meneghin had 35 saves and improved his record to 6-1-0 on the year. The Falcons went 2-6 on the power-play, and held the Blue Devils to just one goal in seven power-play opportunities.

Freshman Tyler Dahl got the Falcons out to an early lead with a power-play goal at 17:45 of the first period, off assists by senior Marc-Andre LaLande and freshman Jason Usher. Larson added his first goal of the night 7:12 into the second period. LaLande assisted him on the power-play goal. Five minutes later Larson put home another goal, with Dahl and junior Aaron Degerness on the assists. Stout got on the board :17 into the third period on a power play goal, but it was to little too late. Larson lit the lamp with four minutes remaining in the game to complete the hat trick. Degerness and Dahl got the assists.

The Falcons improved their record to 8-2-2 (3-1-0 NCHA). They will take a holiday break before returning to ice on Jan. 4 to take on St. Olaf at Hunt Arena.

Falcons Top Stout, 5-1

Dec. 10, 2004

The Falcon men’s hockey team got back on track Friday night with a 5-1 victory against UW-Stout at Hunt Arena.

The Falcons got two goals from both sophomore Joe Tiberio and senior Garrett Larson. UW-RF out shot the Blue Devils 36-30 and converted 2 out of 5 power plays on the night. Junior Andy Scanlon was spectacular in goal for the Falcons with 29 saves.

Tiberio got the scoring started at 3:09 of the first period with his first of two goals. He was assisted on the play by senior Marc-Andre LaLande and freshman Wade Harstad. Junior Murphy Dwyer added an unassisted goal at 7:46. The Blue Devils got their only goal of the night on a power-play goal halfway through the second period. The Falcons quickly answered back with a power-play goal at 13:47 by Larson. He was assisted by freshman Tyler Dahl and junior Aaron Degerness. The Falcons added two goals late in the third period to put the game out of reach. Tiberio scored a power-play goal at 13:11, with LaLande and Harstad on the assists. Larson added his second goal at 14:41, with LaLande and Dwyer on the assists.

The Falcons improved their recode to 7-2-2 (2-0-1 NCHA). The two teams will face off once again Saturday night in Menomonie at 7:30.

Falcons Drop Second Game of the Road Trip

Dec. 4, 2004

The Falcon men's hockey team suffered their first loss of the conference season on Saturday night in Stevens Point. The Falcons fell to the Pointers 7-4 in the second game of a tough road trip. On a positive note the Falcons got two goals from sophomore Jared Sailer, and one goal and one assist from both senior Garrett Larson and junior Aaron Degerness. Junior goalies Andy Scanlon and Dan Meneghin combined for 18 saves for the Falcons.

After falling behind early, Larson tied the game up with a power-play goal at 11:28 of the first period, off assists by Degerness and senior Josh Schlipp. The Pointers tacked on another power-play goal just before the end of the period. Sailer tied the game up with a power-play goal 10:08 into the second period. He was assisted on the goal by senior Tony Sikich. The Pointers ended the period on a positive note, scoring two goals in the last eight minutes to take a 4-2 lead. The Falcons roared back in the third period to tie it up when Degerness scored a short-handed goal 2:17 into the period and Sailer scored a power-play goal at the 7:15 mark. Larson and junior Murphy Dwyer assisted on the first goal and Sikich on the second. Unfortunately, the Falcons were unable to hold the lead and the Pointers went ahead for good with ten minutes to go. The Falcons gave up two empty-net goals trying to tie up the game.

The Falcons dropped to 6-2-2 on the season and will be back in action next weekend with a home and home against UW-Stout. The teams will play at Hunt Arena on Friday night at 7 p.m. and then play in Menomonie on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.

Falcons Win Conference Opener

Dec. 3, 2004

The Falcon menís hockey team got off to a rough start on Friday night, but fought back in the second and third periods to get a 5-3 win against UW-Eau Claire. The first conference game of the year showed the young Falcons the hardships of playing on the road in the NCHA. The Falcons got two goals from freshman Matt Jackson and junior goalie Dan Meneghin had a solid game for the Falcons, improving his record to 5-0-0.

The Falcons immediately dug themselves a hole when Meneghin allowed two Blugold goals in the first five minutes of the game. Jackson got the comeback started 10:46 into the first period with a power-play goal. Freshman Brent Cooper and senior Tony Sikich assisted him on the goal. Jackson struck again late in the second period off assists by Cooper and senior Josh Schlipp. The Falcons took the lead for the first time just two minutes into the third period on a power-play goal by Larson. He was assisted by freshmen Tyler Dahl and Jason Usher. Senior Aaron Degerness scored another goal off assists by Larson and Dahl at the 5:35 mark in the third. The Blugolds got a goal to make it 4-3, but Sikich stopped any thought of a computer with a power-play goal 11:00 into the period. He was assisted on the goal Schlipp and junior Murphy Dwyer.

The Falcons improved their record to 6-1-2 and will continue their first road trip of the conference season tomorrow night at Stevens Point.

Falcons Bounce Back Against Hamline

Nov. 20, 2004

The Falcon men's hockey team bounced back on Saturday night with a 5-2 victory against Hamline University. The Falcons controlled the puck for most of the game, outshooting the Pipers 41-17. UW-RF got 15 saves from junior Dan Meneghin, who improved his record to 4-0-0. The only stain on the Falcons victories was the 13 penalties the Falcons committed, after only committing one in yesterday's game.

Junior Aaron Degerness got the scoring started at 2:37 of the first period with a power-play goal. He was assisted on the play by freshman Tyler Dahl and senior Garrett Larson. Freshman Matt Jackson added a goal at the 8:23, off of assists by junior Murphy Dwyer and senior Tony Sikich. The Pipers finally got on the board with a power-play goal at 18:17 in the first period by Lubos Taragel. Larson added a goal of his own 5:54 into the second period, with Degerness and Dahl on the assists. Freshman Wade Harstad added to the lead with a short-handed goal exactly halfway through the second period. He was assisted on the play by senior Marc-Andre Lalande. Jackson opened up the third period with his second goal of the night at 11:08, with Lalande on the assist once again. Ryan Manke scored a power-play goal for the Pipers with 28 seconds left in the game to wrap up the scoring.

The Falcons (5-1-2) will take the holiday week off before opening up the NCHA conference season on Friday, Dec. 3 at Eau Claire. On Dec. 4 the Falcons will travel to Stevens Point.

Falcons Fall to Bethel College

Nov. 19, 2004

The Falcon hockey team's unbeaten streak came to an end on Friday night with a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Bethel Royals. Despite outshooting the Royals 32-18, the Falcons were unable to get the puck past Bethel goalie Dustin Thompson.The only goal the Falcons were able to get was off a turnover by the Royals, which senior Josh Schlipp put away. Junior goalie Andy Scanlon had a good night for the Falcons with 16 saves. The Falcons had just one penalty, but it came with two minutes left in the game and ended any chance of a comeback.

Bethel's Matt Tramm started the scoring at 6:32 of the first period by slipping a wrist shot past Scanlon. Schlipp responded for the Falcons at 5:25 of the second period. Freshman Matt Jackson and senior Tony Sikich assisted him on the goal. The game looked like it would go into the third period tied, but the Royals went ahead on a goal by Josiah Matuszewski at the 18:29 mark. The Falcons controlled the third period, but were unable to slip anything past Thompson, who ended up with 31 saves for the Royals.

The Falcons (4-1-2) continue their homestand tomorrow night against Hamline. The puck will drop at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Hold On Against St. Mary's

Nov. 13, 2004

After going up 2-0 in the first period, the Falcon men's hockey held on for a 2-1 victory against St. Mary's. The Falcons were outshot by St. Mary's 41-28. Garrett Larson continued his solid play for the Falcons with two points. Dan Meneghin came up big for the Falcons with 40 saves.

Larson got the scoring started four minutes into the game with a goal St. Mary's goalie Ryne Ess. He was assisted on the play by Tyler Dahl and Andy Jurek. Andy Degerness scored the Falcons second goal later in the period, with an assist on the play by Larson. St. Mary's was able to get a goal early in the third period, but failed to score again.

The Falcons improved their record to 4-0-2 and will continue non-conference play with two home games. They will play Bethel College on Friday and Hamline on Saturday. Both matches will start at 7 p.m.

Falcons Settle For Tie Against St. Thomas

Nov. 12, 2004

In the battle between the #3 and #4 teams in the country, little was settled. In a back and forth match-up the Falcons fought the Tommies of St. Thomas to a 3-3 tie. Senior transfer Garrett Larson continued his solid play scoring two goals and just missing on a third opportunity that could have sealed the win for the Falcons. Junior goalie Andy Scanlon had 39 saves for the Falcons.

Freshman Tyler Dahl started the scoring early with a goal off a Tommies’ turnover in the first minute of the game. Larson scored three minutes into the second period to give the Falcons a 2-0 lead, but St. Thomas scored a power-play goal just before the end of the period. St. Thomas scored another goal three minutes into the third period to tie the game up at two. Larson changed that just one minute later when he scored his second goal of the game, this time on the power-play. Unfortunately, the Falcons were unable to hold the lead and the Tommies tied it up once again with five minutes left. The Falcons had two power-play opportunities after that, one in regulation and one in the overtime, but were unable to get anything going.

The Falcons will travel to St. Mary’s tomorrow night to take on the Cardinals. The match will be a tough test for the Falcons, because the Cardinals play on an Olympic-size rink, which is wider than Hunt Arena’s NHL-sized rink. The puck will drop at 7 p.m.

Falcons Get Easy Win Against Concordia

Nov. 6, 2004

The Falcon men’s hockey team dominated the Cobbers of Concordia-Moorhead on Saturday night, scoring a 6-2 victory. The Falcons scored two goals in each period and went 2-7 on the power-play. They also continued their one early season problem with 12 penalties for 24 minutes.

Junior Vince Pulera got the scoring started with a goal just two minutes into the game. Freshman Brent Cooper assisted him on the play. Cooper followed with a power-play goal of his own, getting assists from freshman Jim Henkemeyer and senior Tony Sikich. The Cobbers finally got on the board with less than a minute left in the period, with a power-play goal by Matt Hansen.

The Falcons got off to a quick start in the second period, with a goal by freshman Matt Jackson forty seconds into the period. Senior Josh Schlipp and junior Murphy Dwyer got the assists on the play. Then the Falcons got a power-play goal from Sikich, with Schlipp and Dwyer on the assists once again. The Cobbers ended the period with an unassisted goal by Jordan Mackner.

The third period was a back and forth battle until Cooper lit the lamp at the 12 minute mark with his second goal of the night. He was assisted on the play by Pulera and sophomore Tyler Kostiuk. Junior Nate Hansen ended the scoring for the Falcons with a late goal, assisted by Jackson and Kostiuk.

The Falcons improved their record to 3-0-1 and they are currently ranked fourth in the USCHO Division III poll. They will head on the road next weekend to take on St. Thomas on Friday night, and St. Mary’s on Saturday night.

Falcons Rally to Tie Augsburg

Nov. 5, 2004

The Falcon men's hockey team rallied from a 3-1 deficit with eight minutes left in the third against Augsburg College to get a 3-3 tie. The Falcons got all three goals from newcomers and cut down the amount of penalties to just seven, after having well over a dozen in the first two games.

Jason Fleck and Greg May scored goals in the second period to get Augsburg out to a 2-0 lead, but Freshman Tyler Dahl responded for the Falcons with a goal late in the period. Senior Marc-Andre Lalande and freshman Jason Usher assisted him on the play. The Auggies opened up the third period with a power-play goal by Critter Nagurski. Senior transfer Garrett Larson led the Falcon comeback with two goals, including a power-play goal with under two minutes left, to tie the game up at three. He was assisted on the goals by senior Tony Sikich and Lalande, respectively. The Auggies got a power-play chance in overtime, but they were unable to convert and the game ended in a tie.

The Falcons record is now 2-0-1, and their next game is tomorrow when they will host Concordia-Moorhead at 7 p.m.

Falcons Cruise Against Eau Claire

Oct. 26, 2004

On Saturday night, the Falcon men's hockey team showed why they are one of the top teams in the NCHA. Despite 14 penalties, the Falcons made easy work the UW-Eau Claire in 6-1 victory. The Falcons were an impressive 5-15 on the power-play and scored their only other goal during four-on-four play.

Sophomore Joe Tiberio got the scoring started in the first period, with the assists going to freshman Wade Harstad and senior Marc-Andre Lalande. Then Lalande added a goal of his own on the power-play, with freshman Jason Usher on the assist.

In the second period, senior Josh Schlipp scored a goal on the power-play, with the assists going to senior Tony Sikich and freshman Matt Jackson. Senior Aaron Degerness made it 4-0 with a power play goal midway through the period. He was assisted by senior Garrett Larson and freshman Tyler Dahl. The Blugolds finally broke into the scoring column with a late power-play goal by Rob Ouimette.

In the third period the Falcons scored two more power-play goals. The first was by Degerness, with the assists going to Larson and Usher. The second was by Schlipp, with the assists going to freshmen Murphy Dwyer and Brent Cooper.

The Falcons improved their record to 2-0-0 and will travel to Augsburg College on Friday night at 8 p.m. On Saturday, the Falcons will host Concordia College at 7p.m.

Falcons Win Big in Season Opener

Oct. 26, 2004

The Falcon men's hockey team opened up their season on Tuesday night with a 7-0 win against MSOE. The Falcons dominated the game, scoring three goals in both the second and third period. Goalie Dan Meneghin got the start, and came through with a shutout and 40 saves. UW-RF also showed some its depth, getting seven goals from seven different players. The Falcons scored four goals on the power play and one short- handed.

The scoring started in the first period when freshman defenseman Jason Usher slipped one passed Raider goalie Joe Dovalina at 13:59. Aaron Degerness and Marc-Andre Lalande were credited with assists on the power-play goal.

In the second period senior foward Tony Sikich scored on a power play, at 5:06. Jim Henkemeyer and Josh Schlipp collected the assists. At 11:29, senior foward Garret Larson scored the Falcons third power-play goal, with an assist from Schlipp. Degerness finished the second period scoring with a short-handed goal at 16:16, with assists from Usher and Larson.

In the third period the Falcons got a goal from sophomore foward Cory Lennartson at 5:26, with Aaron Venasky and Wade Harstad on the assist. At 10:51 they switched roles with Venasky getting the power-play goal and Lennartson getting the assist. Lalande finished the scoring for the Falcons with a goal at 14:47. Sophomore foward Tyler Kostiuk got the assist.

The Falcons outshot the Raiders 53-40 and went 4-11 on power play opportunites. The Falcons also had seven players that scored twopoints in the game, including one freshman.

The Falcons improved their record to 1-0-0 and will host UW-Eau Claire at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday at Hunt Arena.

Falcons Open Season Hosting MSOE

Oct. 25, 2004

The Falcon men's hockey team is going through a rebuilding phase, but that does not mean that the team is expecting a sub par season.

The Falcons open their season Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. when they host MSOE at Hunt Arena.

In fact, the term reloading may be more appropriate for Falcon Coach Steve Freeman's team. The Falcons return 16 letter winners from the 2003-2004 season, but lose eight letter winners, including their top three scorers.

One of the Falcons strengths this year will be goaltending. Andy Scanlon, the team MVP from last year, is returning along with Dan Meneghin. Scanlon was second in NCAA Div. III with a .935 save percentage and earned All-NCHA and All-WIAC honorable mention honors. Scanlon was also named to the preseason D-III All-USCHO second team this year. Meneghin also played well posting an 8-2-1 record, a 2.03 GAA and a .915 saves percentage.

Marc-Andre Lalande, an All-NCHA defenseman last year, leads a group of talented returning defensemen including Nate Hansen, Murphy Dwyer and Andy Jurek. The defense will also be helped out by some promising freshmen including Jason Usher, Rob Dubel, and Jim Henkemeyer.

The Falcons return the most experience up front. Seniors Josh Schlipp, Steve Moe and Tony Sikich will anchor the offensive attack, along with junior Aaron Degerness, the top returning scorer from last year. They will get some help from newcomers Garrett Larson, a transfer from St. Cloud State, and Vince Pulera.

"We have all kinds of new faces, so a slow start may happen, but I expect us to improve over the season," said Freeman. "We are expected to be successful and we will be in the hunt."

The Falcons are expected to be among the top teams in the NCHA, but St. Norbert, last year's national runner-up, has to be considered the favorite. The Green Knights were picked by the league coaches to win the 2005 NCHA regular season title in the annual Coaches Poll. Superior and Lake Forest are also expected to be in the conference title hunt. The Falcons will also compete with Superior for the top spot in the WIAC.

"The NCHA is considered the strongest conference top to bottom in Div. III," said Freeman.

"We look forward to another exciting season playing in front of the home crowd at Hunt Arena," said Freeman.