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Henkemeyer, Dahl, Borgestad, Forwards TJ Dahl (Sr., Apple Valley, Minn.), Patrick Borgestad (Sr., St. Paul, Minn.) and Derek Hansberry (Jr., Arvada, Col.) and defenseman Jim Henkemeyer (Sr., St. Cloud, Minn.) have all been named to 2008 USCHO.com teams.
Henkemeyer and Dahl were named to the first West team and Hansberry and Borgestad was named to the second West team.
Dahl, who earlier this year was named a AHCA All-American and to both the first All-NCHA and WIAC teams, led the Falcons in scoring with 43 points. He scored eight goals and a team-high 35 assists. He scored three power-play goals and two game-winners. Dahl was one of the team’s captains. He finished his career with 41 goals and 114 assists for 155 points. He is third all-time in scoring and assists. Dahl was named to last year’s AHCA All-American team and to the All-NCHA and All-WIAC first team. He was named the NCHA Player of the Year after the 2007 season. After the 2006 season he was named to both the All-NCHA and All-WIAC first teams. He earned honorable mention to the All-WIAC team after his freshman season.
Henkemeyer was also named earlier this year to the first All-NCHA and WIAC teams and a AHCA All-American. He finished the year with four goals and 24 assists for 28 points. He finished fifth in scoring for the Falcons and was the team’s top scoring defenseman. Henkemeyer was one of the team’s captains. He finished his career with 18 goals and 50 assists for 68 points. He is eighth all-time in scoring by a defenseman. Henkemeyer was named to the 2007 AHCA All-American team and he was also named to the first All-NCHA and All-WIAC squads. After the 2006 season he earned honorable mention to the All-WIAC team. After the 2007-08 season he signed a professional contract with the Dayton Bombers of the East Coach Hockey League.
Borgestad, who earlier this year was named to the first All-NCHA and All-WIAC teams and to the second AHCA All-American second team, finished third in scoring for the Falcons with 23 goals and 36 points. He led the team in goals and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. He scored nine power-play goals and four game-winners. Borgestad finished his career with 52 goals and 39 assists for 91 points. He is 17th in career goals. After the 2007 season he was named to the first All-WIAC team and earned honorable mention to the All-NCHA squad. After his sophomore season he earned honorable mention to both the All-NCHA and All-WIAC teams. Hansberry was earlier named to the first All-NCHA team and he earned honorable mention to the All-WIAC team. He was second on the team in scorig with 19 goals and 38 points. He finished second on the team in goals and led the Falcons with 10 power-play and two short-handed goals. He tied for the team lead with four game-winning goals. Hansberry scored a hat trick in the team's season-opening 9-2 win over Northland. He finished the year with three four-point games. He finished 3-1-4 against Northland, 2-2-4 against Lake Forest on Dec. 7 and 2-2-4 against Con.-Moorhead on Jan. 11. After the 2006-07 season Hansberry was named to the All-NCHA and All-WIAC teams and to the AHCA and USCHO.com All-American teams.
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Dahl, Henkemeyer, Borgestad Forwards TJ Dahl (Sr., Apple Valley, Minn.) and Patrick Borgestad (Sr., St. Paul, Minn.) and defenseman Jim Henkemeyer (Sr., St. Cloud, Minn.) have all been named to 2008 RBK Hockey American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) All-America teams.
Dahl and Henkemeyer were named to the first West team and Borgestad was named to the second West team.
Dahl, who earlier this year was named to both the first All-NCHA and WIAC first teams, led the Falcons in scoring with 43 points. He scored eight goals and a team-high 35 assists. He scored three power-play goals and two game-winners. Dahl was one of the team’s captains. He finished his career with 41 goals and 114 assists for 155 points. He is third all-time in scoring and assists. Dahl was named to last year’s AHCA All-American team and to the All-NCHA and All-WIAC first team. He was named the NCHA Player of the Year after the 2007 season. After the 2006 season he was named to both the All-NCHA and All-WIAC first teams. He earned honorable mention to the All-WIAC team after his freshman season.
Henkemeyer was also named earlier this year to the first All-NCHA and WIAC teams. He finished the year with four goals and 24 assists for 28 points. He finished fifth in scoring for the Falcons and was the team’s top scoring defenseman. Henkemeyer was one of the team’s captains. He finished his career with 18 goals and 50 assists for 68 points. He is eighth all-time in scoring by a defenseman. Henkemeyer was named to the 2007 AHCA All-American team and he was also named to the first All-NCHA and All-WIAC squads. After the 2006 season he earned honorable mention to the All-WIAC team. After the 2007-08 season he signed a professional contract with the Dayton Bombers of the East Coach Hockey League.
Borgestad, who earlier this year was named to the first All-NCHA and All-WIAC teams, finished third in scoring for the Falcons with 23 goals and 36 points. He led the team in goals and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. He scored nine power-play goals and four game-winners. Borgestad finished his career with 52 goals and 39 assists for 91 points. He is 17th in career goals. After the 2007 season he was named to the first All-WIAC team and earned honorable mention to the All-NCHA squad. After his sophomore season he earned honorable mention to both the All-NCHA and All-WIAC teams. |
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Six Earn WIAC Honors: Six Falcons have been named to All-WIAC hockey teams and Coach Steve Freeman has been named the league's Coach of the Year. Forwards Pat Borgestad (Sr., St. Paul, Minn.) and TJ Dahl (Sr., Apple Valley, Minn.) and defenseman Jim Henkemeyer (Sr., St. Cloud, Minn.) were all named to the first team. Forward Derek Hansberry (Jr., Arvada, Col.) and Dustin Norman (Jr., South Delta, B.C.) and defenseman Josh Meyers (Jr., International Falls, Minn.) all earned honorable mention. Meyers was also named to the All-Sportsmanship team. Borgestad, 6-2, 205 pounds, finished third in scoring with 23 goals and 36 points. He led the team in goals. He scored nine power-play goals and four game winners. Borgestad earned honorable mention to the All-WIAC team in 2006 and 2007. Dahl, 6-0, 193 pounds, led the Falcons in scoring with eight goals and 43 points. He scored three power-play goals and two game winners. Dahl was named to the first All-WIAC team in 2006 and 2007 and earned honorable mention in 2005. Henkemeyer, 5-11, 186 pounds, finished first among Falcon defensemen in scoring on the team. He had four goals and 28 points. He scored two power-play goals. He was fifth on the team in scoring overall. Henkemeyer was named to the first All-WIAC team in 2007 and earned honorable mention in 2006. Hansberry, 6-0, 196 pounds, finished second in scoring with 19 goals and 38 points. He led the team with 10 power-play goals and two short-handed goals. He scored four game-winners. Hansberry was named to the first All-WIAC team in 2007 and 2006. Norman, 6-2, 180 pounds, finished fourth in scoring with 13 goals and 30 points. He had five power-play goals, one short-handed goal and one game winner. Meyers, 5-11, 197 pounds, scored two goals and 10 points this year. He had one power-play goal. The league's All-Sportsmanship Team is for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. The team included one member from each school as selected by that school. Freeman won the Coach of the Year award for the sixth straight year. He has won the award seven times overall. He also won the award after the 1998 season. He has a 236-98-25 career record and is the winningest active coach in the WIAC. He is third in wins among all WIAC hockey coaches. He has won more WIAC Coach of the Year awards than any other coach. The Falcons won their fifth straight WIAC title this season finishing 5-2-1 in league play. UWRF has won 13 WIAC Championships, more than any other team. |
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Men’s Hockey Team Collapses in Third Period; Loss Series to St. Scholastica The second seeded Falcons give up two third period goals to seventh seeded St. Scholastica Saints, resulting in an overtime tie, 3-3, likely ending the Falcons season. After the loss in last night’s game, UWRF needed a win in regulation or overtime tonight to extend the series to a mini-game.
River Falls came out sharp and got on the board first with a goal from Jim Henkemeyer, his fourth of the season. On the play Pat Borgestad fed a pass to T.J Dahl, who then found a wide-open Henkemeyer streaking towards the back-door. Henkemeyer grabbed the pass, faked the fore-hand shot, pulled the puck to his back-hand, and beat Saints goaltender Tyler Johnson. The Falcons led 1-0 after the first frame.
CSS tied the game 5:36 in to the second period with a goal from A.J Tucker, the Saints leading goal scorer. Tucker’s 15th goal of the season was unassisted.
Less than three minutes later Falcon’s forward Dustin Norman slapped in a power-play goal giving RF the one goal lead. Assisting on Norman’s goal was Dahl and Hansberry. Seven minutes’ later Norman added his second goal of the period, as he drove a rebound past Johnson on the backdoor. Henkemeyer and Josh Meyers picked up the assists, and the Falcons looked in control.
In the third period the Falcons self destructed taking two penalties within the first four minutes. The first was on Jim Jensen for high sticking and the second on Matt Szypura for tripping. Saint’s Jeff Gagnon and Jordan Baird capitalized on both opportunities, tying the game at 3 goals a piece. The Falcons rank last in the NCHA in penalty kill (79.4%).
UWRF tried to battle back to take the lead, but St Scholastica’s goaltender Johnson make many key saves in the third period and in the extra frame, ending with 49 saves on the night. Tyler Owens also played well, stopping 37 of 40 shots on net, many in high pressure situations.
For the second year in a row the Falcons get upset by CSS. Unless River Falls gets an at-large bid their season looks to be over. |
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Men’s Hockey Team Losses First Playoff Game Against St. Scholastica, 5-2 St. Scholastica scored early and often to beat the Falcons for the fourth time in a row at Hunt Arena.
UWRF came out of the gates very slow. Just 26 seconds in to the game the Saints’ Neil Sauter netted his second goal of the season with a wrist shot from the top of the circle. Jeff Gagnon and A.J. Tucker earned the assist on the goal. St. Scholastica picks up their next goal from Jordan Chong, increasing the Saints lead to two goals. Chong was the player responsible for the overtime winner the last time these two teams met. Assisting on Chong’s 11th goal of the season was Kelly Reynolds.
The Falcons’ Tyler Czuba answered back with a breakaway goal just has the Saints were coming off a power-play. On the play, Czuba deeked to the left, held the puck, drawing goalie Tyler Johnson to his pads and flipped the shot over Johnson.
CSS added two more late first period goals by Simren Sandhu and Matt Stengl padding their lead to 3 goals. The goals came just 1:22 apart from each other.
Coach Freeman decided that was enough for Stephen Ritter giving Tyler Owens a chance to show his skills between the pipes for the second period. Owens and the RF defensive played much better in the second, saving all six Saints shots on net. With only 15 seconds left in the second Dustin Norman slammed home a loose puck on the power-play to put the Falcons only two goals down. Norman was assisted by T.J. Dahl and Derek Hansberry.
St. Scholastica made a comeback less likely when Jordan Baird netted the fifth CSS goal. Rf wasn’t able to mount a comeback, ending the game at this score.
RF’s Ritter made 16 saves on 20 shots, while Owens stopped 16 of 17 shots. The Saints Johnson made 29 saves on 31 shots.
UWRF leads the all-time series 54-30-3, but the Saints have had the Falcon’s number the last two years. River Falls will try their luck again tomorrow night with a must win game. If the Falcons do win then the series will go a 15 minute mini-game where the winner will advance to the next round.
Last Week's NCHA Results Upcoming NCHA Games Saturday, March 1 Four first round playoff series are set for this weekend. Two NCHA semi-final games will be Saturday, March 1 at the site of the highest remaining seeded teams. The championship game will be played on Saturday, March 8 at the site of the highest remaining seeded team. The NCHA playoff champion receives the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Div. III Championships. Final 2008 NCHA Standings
NCHA Champions
* NCAA champions |
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Falcons Host St. Scholastica in NCHA First Round Playoffs The Falcons host St. Scholastica in the first round of the Peters Cup NCHA playoffs this weekend at Hunt Arena. Games on Friday and Saturday will start at 7:05 p.m. The first round of the playoffs is a best two-out-of-three game series. If the series is tied after Saturday's game, the teams will play a 15 minute minigame to determine which team advances. If the minigame ends in a tie, the teams will play 20 minute sudden death overtime periods until a winner is determined. UWRF earned the second seed in the league playoffs with a 5-3 win over UW-Stout last Friday at Hunt Arena. If the Falcons win this weekend, they would host a semifinal game on March 1. After losing four straight games, the Falcons have won their last two heading into the playoffs. One of those losses in the losing streak was to St. Scholastica, 4-3, in overtime on Jan. 26. TJ Dahl leads the Falcons in scoring with eight goals and 40 points. He is fourth in the nation with 32 assists. Derek Hansberry (19-17-36) is second in scoring and his 10 power-play goals is seventh in the nation. He also has two short-handed goals and four game-winners. Patrick Borgestad leads the team in goals with 23 and he has 35 points. He is sixth in the country in goals. He has nine power-play goals and four game-winners. Jim Henkemeyer leads all UWRF defensemen in scoring with three goals and 23 assists. Stephen Ritter has played the last 12 games in goal. He has an 8-4 record with a 2.53 goals against average and a.924 saves percentage. He made 39 saves, including several great stops, in the win over UWS. The Falcon power play is at a .299 conversion rate. The Falcon penalty kill is at .783 conversion rate. UWRF is ranked No. 7 in this week's USCHO.com poll. CSS has shown it has the skills and talents to play with any team in the league. Last year the Saints came to UWRF and stole a 2-1 win in the NCHA semifinals. CSS has played two straight overtime ties and is undefeated in its last three games. A.J. Tucker leads his team in almost every offensive category. He has 14 goals, 16 assists, 30 points and five power-play goals. Jordan Chong, who scored the game-winner in overtime in a 4-3 win at UWRF on Jan. 26, is second in scoring with 10 goals and 19 points. He has two game-winning goals. Steve Bounds and Tyler Johnson have shared time in goal. BOunds is 6-6-2 with a 2.34 goals against average and a .908 saves percentage. Johnson, who made 35 saves in the overtime win at UWRF, has a 3-4-2 record with a 3.22 goals against average an an .879 saves percentage. The Series - UWRF leads in the all-time series, 54-29-3. The two teams split games this year with the visiting team winning both games. The Falcons won in Duluth, Minn., on Nov. 16, 6-3. On Jan. 26 in River Falls, the Saints took a 4-3 overtime win. In the last 10 games, UWRF holds a 6-3-1 advantage. Last Week's NCHA Results Upcoming NCHA Games Saturday, March 1 Four first round playoff series are set for this weekend. Two NCHA semi-final games will be Saturday, March 1 at the site of the highest remaining seeded teams. The championship game will be played on Saturday, March 8 at the site of the highest remaining seeded team. The NCHA playoff champion receives the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Div. III Championships. Final 2008 NCHA Standings
NCHA Champions
* NCAA champions |
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Five Earn NCHA Honors Four members of the Falcon men’s hockey team have been named to the first All-NCHA team. Three Falcons have also been named to the NCHA All-Academic team.
Forwards Patrick Borgestad (Sr. St. Paul, Minn.), TJ Dahl (Sr., Burnsville, Minn.) and Derek Hansbery (Jr., Arvada, Col.) and defenseman Jim Henkemeyer (Sr., St. Cloud, Minn.) were all named to the first team.
Borgestad earned honorable mention to the team in 2006 and 2007. Dahl and Hansberry were both named to the first team in 2006 and 2007. Henkemeyer was named to the first team in 2007.
Borgestad, 6-3, 200 pounds, led the NCHA in goals with 12 and had 17 points. In 25 games he led the Falcons with 23 goals and was third in scoring with 35 points. He had nine power-play goals and four game-winners.
Dahl led the NCHA with 22 points and 17 assists. In 25 games he led the Falcons in scoring with eight goals and 32 assists for 40 points. He had three power-play goals and two game-winners.
Hansberry scored seven goals and 17 points in NCHA play. In 25 games he was second on the team with 19 goals and 36 points. He led the Falcons with 10 power-play goals, two short-handed goals and he had four game-winners.
Henkemeyer was the NCHA’s top scoring defenseman. He had three goals and 17 points in NCHA play. In 25 games he was fifth on the team in scoring with three goals and 26 points. He had two power-play goals.
Dahl, Hansberry and Jason Usher (Sr., Eden Prairie, Minn.) were all named to the All-Academic team. All three were named to the team for the second time. To be named to the team a player must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and be recommended by his head coach.
The Falcons finished the regular season with a 16-6-3 overall record. They were 8-5-1 in NCHA play and finished second in the league standings. |
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Men’s Hockey Team Captures Second Seed in Last Regular Season Game The No. 10th ranked Falcons leaped past the No. 11th ranked Stout Blue Devils in the NCHA standing with solid goaltending from Stephen Ritter and effective team offense in a 5-3 victory at Hunt Arena. For the second year in a row the Falcons are able to sweep the season series against the Blue Devils. Just 3:15 in to the game UWRF’s Tyler Czuba tapped in a rebound goal on the power-play. Assisting on Czuba’s 15th goal of the season was Nolan Craner and Wade Harstad. Under four minutes later RF’s Dustin Norman stole the puck from a Blue Devil defenseman. As he skated in Norman attempted to dish the puck across to Pat Borgestad, but the puck tipped off a UWS player and found the back of the net. In this early surge of offensive pressure by the Falcons, TJ Dahl wristed the puck past Devil’s goaltender Mike Stone off a faceoff win from Czuba. Dahl’s eighth goal of the season came less than two minutes after Norman’s, putting the momentum on the side of the Falcons. Dahl leads the NCHA in points with 40. Early in the second frame Harstad increased the Falcons lead to four goals with a shot that found the twine from deep in the slot. Lance Malark and Jason Usher earned the assists on the goal. Since Harstad’s return from a shoulder injury he suffered December 1st against Stevens Point, he has put up 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists) in the last three games. UWS showed they weren’t going to go down easy with back-to-back power-play goals from Jack Wolgemuth. Assisting on both of Wolgemuth goals were Derek Hanson and Joel Gaulrapp. Wolgemuth put in his fifth goal of the season with just 1:33 left in the period on a Jim Jensen roughing penalty. In the third Matt Szupura tacked on the fifth RF goal, his first of the season, decreasing the chances of a UWS come-back. Stout’s Stone was pulled 5:26 in to the third period and was replaced by Matt Koenig. Scott Motz drew Stout within two goals of River Falls, but that would be as close as they would come. The Falcons played great team hockey, as all four lines had at least a point. Ritter make 39 saves on 42 shots. Stone stopped 23 shots, giving up all five goals. Koenig stopped all of the 6 shots he faced. Next weekend the seconded seeded UWRF Falcons (16-6-3, NCHA 8-5-1) will be taking on the seventh seeded St. Scholastica Saints (9-12-4, NCHA 4-7-3) at Hunt Arena for a two game set, with a possible third mini-game. RF has split the season series with the Saints. Last season the Falcons lost 2-1 to Scholastica in the NCHA semi-finals, so will be looking for revenge. |
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Men's Hockey Team Lashes Foresters, 10-1 UWRF nets seven unanswered goals in the third period to push their way past the Lake Forest Foresters. In the first frame Falcon's Derek Hansberry taps home the first goal of the game just 3:33 in to the contest. Assisting on Hansberry's power-play goal was Jim Henkemeyer and TJ Dahl. The second goal RF goal came in the second period when NCHA goal scoring leader Pat Borgestad added his 22nd goal of the season. On the play Josh Meyers tricked a pass that Borgestad turned to his back-handed and pushed the puck passed Foresters goalie Scott Campbell. Lake Forest answered with a goal of there own almost eight minutes later as David Ridos put a rebound past RF's Stephen Ritter. The assists went to Justin Taylor and Ryan Kupperman. Just over three minutes later Dahl redirected a pass past Campbell to put the Falcons ahead by two going in to the third. UWRF's Dustin Norman and Borgestad earned the assists on the goal. In the third period the game got away from Lake Forest, as the Falcons score seven goals on 18 shots. During this span five goals were scored in under six minutes. RF's Wade Harstad and Riley Riddell were responsible for four goals in the third frame, two each. It was Riddell's first and second goals of the season. It was Harstad's fifth and sixth goals so for this season. Borgestad added another in the third, tapping off a 3 point night. UWRF went 3 for 7 on the power-play, while the Foresters went 0 for 3. Ritter stopped 22 of 23 shots on the night, as Campbell saved 48 of 58 shots. Currently the Falcons are tied in NCHA standing with UW-Superior at 15 points and one point behind UW-Stout. This means the Falcons (15-6-3, NCHA 7-5-1) controls there own destiny next Friday when the Blue Devils (15-6-3, NCHA 7-4-2) come to Hunt Arena. With a win RF could jump ahead of Stout and earn the second seat in the NCHA playoffs, but a tie or a loss RF could drop to as low as the fourth seat entering the playoffs. |
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Falcons Lose 4-1 Decision No. 1 ranked St. Norbert scored a 4-1 win over the Falcon men’s hockey team in a key NCHA game at Hunt Arena on Friday night.
St. Norbert controlled the first period and came out ahead, 1-0. Defenseman Sam Tikka hit the right post with a shot from 30 feet with about eight minutes left in the period. The Green Knights took the 1-0 lead at 16:49 when Steve Sleep scored on a one-timer from about 12 feet in front and to the left of Falcon goalie Stephen Ritter. He got the pass from behind the net from Ryan Peterson. St. Norbert took a bench minor late in the period for too many players on the ice, but the Falcons couldn’t take advantage. SNC had a 16-6 advantage in shots on goal in the period. Falcon defenseman David Moncur left the ice five minutes into the first period and didn’t return to the action.
There was no scoring in a more evenly played second period. St. Norbert killed off what was left of the first period penalty. Just over two minutes into the period UWRF’s Nolan Craner walked out in front with the puck but SNC goalie Kyle Jones made the save. SNC took a minor penalty a couple of minutes later, but once again the Falcons couldn’t take advantage of the situation. With 7:51 to play the Falcons took a high sticking minor penalty putting SNC on the power play. The Green Knights had two shots on the goal but didn’t score. The Falcons then went on their second power play with 4:31 to play when the Green Knights took a cross checking penalty. But St. Norbert was able to kill it off. With 2:11 to play the Green Knights took another minor, for boarding, to put the Falcons on the man advantage for the fourth time in the game. UWRF managed two shots on goal but couldn’t score. The Falcons ended the session with a 7-5 advantage in shots.
Taylor Langford gave the Green Knights, now 19-1-3 overall, a 2-0 lead early in the third period. He picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and beat Ritter with a wrist shot, that was low and to the left, from 30 feet out. He was assisted by Scott Pulak. SNC went ahead, 3-0, at 4:09 when Shane Wheeler scored up high from 10 feet out. He was assisted by Matt Boyd and Marc Belanger. The Falcons got back to within 3-1 at 10:19 when Lance Malark blew in from the right wing to score on a backhand. It was his third goal of the year and he was assisted by line mates Wade Harstad and Jason Usher. The shot just beat Jones low on the right side. Harstad was back in the lineup for the first time since early December. The goal was the first for the Falcons in over 150 minutes of action. SNC got the final goal of the game with just six seconds to play. Ryan Peterson scored the goal from in close with the lone assist going to Jason Nopper. SNC had a 10-3 advantage in shots in the final stanza.
Ritter, now 6-4, made 28 saves while Jones, now 13-1-3, stopped 15 shots. The Falcon power play was averaging just over a 30 percent success rate going into the game, but was held scoreless in four chances. SNC was 0-1 on the power play.
A UWRF single game attendance record of 1,618 fans attended the contest. St. Norbert was ranked No. 1 and the Falcons No. 9 in this week’s USCHO.com poll. UWRF has now lost four straight games. The four-game losing streak is the longest for the Falcons since the 1992-93 campaign when the team lost five in a row at the mid season point. SNC holds a 26-16-2 lead in the all-time series.
The Falcons, now 14-6-3 overall and 6-5-1 in the NHCA, will host Lake Forest on Saturday at Hunt Arena with action starting at 7:05 p.m. |
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Men’s Hockey Team is Shutout by Eau Claire, 5-0 In the second game of the weekend road trip, the Falcons come-out flat footed again and lose their third straight game losing a 5-0 decision at UW-Eau Claire on Saturday night.. In the first period EC’s John Kearns scored his first goal of the season, on the power-play. The assists went to Joe Bluhm and Andrew Johnson. Just over three and a half minutes later Blugold’s Tyler Weigel added the second goal of the contest, with the assists going to Dan Fina and Greg Petersen. Johnson added his second point of the game, shorthanded mid-way through the second frame. It was Johnson’s 11th goal of the season, good enough to lead Eau Claire in that department. EC’s Jesse Vesel tacked on his fourth goal of the season, assists going to Dan Decato and Petersen. Falcons goaltender Stephen Ritter was pulled during the second intermission, giving way to Tyler Owens. Nearly half-way into the third the Blugold’s Nate Smith beat Owens for his fourth goal of the season. Petersen ends the night with three points, and Ben Bosworth adds a point on the Smith goal. RF’s power-play went 0 for 6, while EC’s scored twice on seven chances. The Falcons had eight penalties worth 16 minutes, and the Blugold’s sent seven players to the box, totaling in 14 penalty minutes. Before this three game skid, the Falcons had won nine out of their last 10 games. This is the second time UWRF has been shutout this season, both games losing by five. All three defeats have been at the hands of lower ranked NCHA teams. Currently the Falcons are battling for regular season points, trying to better their playoff position. RF is one point ahead of Stout and Superior, with Stevens Point two points behind and Eau Claire just three. The Falcons (14-5-3, NCHA 6-4-1) next home game will be the first official white-out game in UWRF history. This game will be Friday against the St. Norbert Green Knights (18-1-3, NCHA 8-0-3), 7:05 p.m. This means all fans are asked to wear white to the game, to promote fan spirit and show support. Also, an official white-out game t-shirt can be purchased this week at the University Center, or before the game. St. Norbert is in first place in the NCHA standings. |
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Men's Hockey Team Loses UW-Stevens Point scored three third-period goals to erase a two-goal deficit en route to a 3-2 win over the Falcon men's hockey team on Friday night in Stevens Point. The Falcons led 2-0 after the first period and that was also the score after two. The Falcons controlled the first period. TJ Dahl scored his sixth goal of the season to give UWRF a 1-0 lead at 16:42. He was assisted by Matt Szypura. The Falcons went ahead, 2-0, with 40 seconds to go in the period. Alex Lundbohm scored a power-play goal. He was assisted by Czuba and Dustin Norman. It was Lundbohm's second goal of the season. UWSP, which is unbeaten in its last 10 games, then controlled the second and third periods. There was no scoring in the second period, but the Pointers got three in the third. Matt Stendahl scored at 3:07 to make it a 2-1 game. UWSP tied the game at 14:21 when Brett Beckfeld scored. Jonathan Ralph got what proved the be the game-winner with 2:54 to play. That goal came with UWSP on the power play. The Falcons, ranked No. 6 in the USCHO.com poll, are now 5-3-2 on the road. The Falcons have lost two games in a row and had won six straight games over the Pointers, including a 5-0 decision at Hunt Arena on Dec. 1.
Falcon goalie Stephen Ritter made 24 saves and is now 6-2. UWSP goalie Thomas Spear stopped 32 shots.
The Falcons, now 14-4-3 overall and 6-3-1 in the NCHA, will play another NCHA game on Saturday at UW-Eau Claire. The puck drops at 7 p.m.
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Men's Hockey Team Loses St. Scholastica scored with just 14 seconds to play in overtime to earn a 4-3 win over the Falcon men’s hockey team on Saturday night at Hunt Arena. The Falcons led 2-1 after the first period. UWRF scored first at 6:24 when Brett Burgau scored his first goal of the season from just to the left of the CSS goal. He was assisted by Riley Riddell and Mitch Kearns. After a Falcon penalty, CSS tied the game with a power-play goal at 7:52. Jordan Baird scored from 50 feet in front of the Falcon goal. The Falcons got the lead back at 8:49. Nolan Craner scored his eighth goal of the season from in close. Lance Malark and Tyler Czuba picked up the assists. UWRF had a 12-10 advantage in shots on goal.
The Falcons went ahead, 3-2, in the second period with both teams scoring power-play goals. The Saints tied the game at 3:48 when A.J. Tucker scored off a one-time about 12 feet in front of the Falcon net. UWRF got that one back at 11:54. Jim Jensen scored the power-play goal with a shot from the point that beat the CSS goalie on the top right. It was Jensen’s third goal of the season and he was assisted by Jim Henkemeyer and TJ Dahl. CSS had a commanding 16-7 shot advantage in the period.
The Saints tied the game, 3-3, at 9:58 of the third period. Trevor Gieger got the goal off a scramble in front of the Falcon net. The Saints took two minor penalties in the next minutes, but the Falcons could not convert on the power play. With 3:27 to play in the third, the Saints took yet another minor penalty. The Saints had two breakaways but didn’t score on either. With just 14 seconds to play in regulation the Falcons were called for a tripping penalty as CSS put pressure in the Falcon zone.
With the Falcons a skater short, UWRF took another minor penalty just 46 seconds into the extra session. UWRF was able to kill off the 5-on-3 disadvantage, and all but 13 seconds of the second penalty, before the Saints took a minor penalty. After 13 seconds of 4-on-4 play the Falcons went on the power play but couldn’t score. Just as the CSS penalty expired, Jordan Chong scored on a breakaway, with just 14 seconds to go in overtime.
Falcon goalie Stephen Ritter made 38 saves and CSS’s Tyler Johnson stopped 35 shots.
The loss was the first for the Falcons at home this year. UWRF is now 9-1-1 at home.
The Falcons, now 14-2-3 overall and 6-1-1 in the NCHA, will play at UW-Stevens Point on Friday with action starting at 7:30 p.m. |
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Men's Hockey Team Wins 6th Straight Game, 4-1 The No. 4 ranked Falcons, led by a two-point effort from forwards Mitch Kerns and Tyler Czuba, beat the UW-Superior Yellowjackets 4-1, in a physical game. In the first frame, defenseman Jim Henkemeyer hit Czuba in stride, with a pass in the middle of the rink. Czuba stick handled left to right, then roofed the puck over Yellowjackets goaltender Chad Beiswenger shoulder. Just 28 seconds later Superior's defenseman Brian Bina answered with a goal of his own. Earning the assist on Bina's goal was Braden Desmet and Chris Berry. Only 1:07 in to the second period River Falls' forward Dustin Norman slammed a Yellowjacket player in the boards, resulting in a game misconduct for checking from behind. This aggressive and physical check set the tone for the rest of the game. UWRF killed the Norman 5 minute major, and were perfect killing penalties on the night, as UWS went 0 for 5 on the power play. The PK has been a point of weakness for the Falcons, as they rank last in the NCHA, killing off only 81 percent. This has been a point of emphasis and has been improving as of late. Kerns netted the game-winning goal, beating Beiswenger stick-side, low, midway through the second period. Czuba and defenseman Jim Jensen earned the assists on the goal. Just over five minutes later defenseman Josh Meyers added an insurance goal, while the Falcons were on a 5 on 3 power-play. Forward Nolan Craner and Kerns were credited for the assists on the goal. In the third UWRF played a very tight defensive game, with the lead in there favor. Forward Derek Hansberry finished the game with an empty net goal, as the Falcons were shorthanded. Falcons' goaltender Stephen Ritter is undefeated as a Falcon earning his 6 th straight win. He made many superb saves stopping 31 of 32 shots on goal. UWS took half of there shots in the third period, but Ritter was able to stop all of them. Beiswenger stopped 19 of 23 shots, lowering his save percentage to .935, still good for 2nd in the NCHA. The Falcons (14-2-3, NCHA 6-1-1) will be taking on St. Scholastica (7-9-2, NCHA 2-4-1) at home tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. UWRF is looking to stay undefeated at Hunt Arena. |
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Usher Nominated For Falcon defenseman Jason Usher (Sr., Eden Prairie, Minn.) is one of 22 collegiate hockey players who have been nominated for the 2008 Hockey Humanitarian Award.
Finalists for the award will be announced on the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation website at www.hockeyhumanitarian.org on Jan. 28. The 13th recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award will be selected from the group of finalists and named in a ceremony held in conjunction with the NCAA Skills Competition and the Hobey Baker Memorial Award on Friday, April 11 at the Pepsi Center in Denver during the 2008 men's NCAA Div. I Frozen Four. The nominees, listed in alphabetical order, are: Ryan Adler Jr. Hobart College; William Bruce Sr. Williams College; Ethan Cox So. Colgate University; Jeff DeFrancesca Sr. University of Wisconsin-Stout; Adam Dekker Sr. Utica College; Missy Elumba Jr. Northeastern University; Mike Forgie Sr. Wayne State University; Jody Heywood Jr. Ohio State University; Trevor Hyatt Jr. University of Alaska Fairbanks; Ashley King Sr. Wayne State University; Marty Mjellei Sr. St. Cloud State University; Caralyn Quan Sr. Williams College; Trudy Reyns Jr. Quinnipiac University; Bobbi Ross Sr. University of Minnesota; Billy Ryan Sr. University of Maine; Cal St. Denis Sr. College of the Holy Cross; Topher Scott Sr. Cornell University; Courtney Sekevitch Sr. University of St. Thomas; Jason Usher Sr. University of Wisconsin-River Falls; Laura Vannelli Sr. Gustavus Adophus College; Dan VeNard Sr. University of Notre Dame; and Dagney Willey Jr. University of Minnesota. |
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| Borgestad Named NCHA, WIAC Player of the Week Jan. 22, 2008 Forward Patrick Borgestad (Sr., St. Paul, Minn.) picked up two goals, leading the Falcon men's hockey team to a 4-3 win over rival UW-Stout on Friday in Menomonie and has been named the NCHA and WIAC Player of the Week. |
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Men’s Hockey Team Holds out to Beat Stout, 4-3 The No. 5 ranked Falcon’s net three first period goals to skate past the No. 9 ranked Blue Devils at Dunn Co. Ice Arena.
In the first period UWRF’s Lance Malark beat goaltender Mike Stone on the even strength goal, just as the Falcons were coming off the penalty kill. The assists were credited to Jason Usher and Mitch Kerns.
Less than 4 minutes later Stout’s Luke Schroeder answered with his 4th goal of the season. The assist went to Bobby Kuehl.
With 3:20 left in the first frame, Pat Borgestad added a power-play goal. On the play captain TJ Dahl controlled the puck in the slot, and fed Derek Hansberry with a tape-to-tape pass. Hansberry then rotated the puck to Borgestad, waiting on the back door for the one-timer. Hansberry earned his 100th point as a Falcon with the assist.
Just 16 seconds later freshman Nolan Craner netted his 7th goal of the season. The assists went to line-mates Dustin Norman and Tyler Czuba.
In the second frame Kuehl added his second point of the game on a goal, drawing the Blue Devils within one goal.
With just 43 seconds left in the second, Borgestad put in his 20th goal of the season, which leads the NCHA. He was assisted by Malark.
In the third UWS’s Jeff Wheeler drew the Devils within one again, with his 10th goal of the season, but that was as close as Stout would get.
The Falcons were able to play the Blue Devils tight in the last 1:30 of the game, when Stout was trying to pull Stone to get the extra attacker out on the ice. When Stone finally got pulled it was too late for Stout to mount a come-back.
Falcons’ goaltender Stephen Ritter played spectacular making 31 saves. Ritter handled his first NCHA game with great poise, making big saves when he had too, improving his record to 5-0.
UWRF went 1 for 3 on the power-play, while UWS went 0 for 7.
UW-River Falls (13-2-3, NCHA 5-1-0) will be taking on UW-Superior (9-4-5, NCHA 3-3-1) next Friday at 7:05 p.m. at home.
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| Hansberry Named WIAC Player of the Week Jan. 15, 2008 Forward Derek Hansberry (Jr., Arvada, Col.) scored the overtime game-winner with 36 seconds left to play to help lead the Falcons over Saint John's, 4-3, on Thursday and has been named the WIAC Player of the Week, according to league Sports Information Director, Matt Stanek. He also assisted line-mate Patrick Borgestad on the first Falcon goal against SJU. Hansberry is tied for the lead in the NCHA with four game winning goals. Then a day later Hansberry put up four points (2-2) in a 9-0 win over Concordia-Moorhead. One of the goals came short-handed, his first of the season, when Josh Meyers dished the puck to the streaking Hansberry, who cut in front of the Cobbers goalie Jeremy Boniface beating him 5-hole. Hansberry is tied for first in the NCHA with teammate TJ Dahl in points with 31 (17-14). He is second in the NCHA in goals to teammate Borgestad. He is second to Dahl in power-play points with 15 (8-7), which is good enough for second in the NCHA. “Derek continues to be a tremendous offensive force, coming through with big, important goals for our program,” said Falcon Coach Steve Freeman. The Falcons, ranked No. 5 in this week's USCHO.com poll, play a NCHA and WIAC game at UW-Stout on Friday with action starting at 7:30 p.m. |
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Men’s Hockey Team Dominates Concordia 9-0 River Falls’ Patrick Borgestad and Derek Hansberry each put up four point a piece against Concordia-Moorhead to earn their 12th win of the season.
Borgestad netted the first two goals for the Falcons, which turned out to be enough against the struggling Cobbers. Borgestad currently leads the NCHA in goals with 19. His second goal came on a 5 on 3 power-play opportunity, when he tipped a pass from line-mate Hansberry in to the back of the twine.
The Falcons scored two consecutive short-handed goals. On the first shorthanded goal Josh Meyers dished the puck to a streaking Hansberry, who cut in front of the Cobbers goalie Jeremy Boniface beating him 5-hole. Just 46 seconds later Dustin Norman added a shorthand goal of his own beating Boniface glove-side. It was Hansberry and Norman’s first short-handed goals of the season.
UWRF’s Nolan Craner and Tyler Czuba scored a goal each, tapping off an excellent 5 goal second period surge for the Falcons. Mitch Kerns earned an assist on each of the two goals.
Entering the third period CMU came out with a new goaltender Josh Hand. The Falcons also gave goaltender Matt Page his first action of the season.
Hand didn’t fair very well giving up three goals, two coming on the Falcons power-play. TJ Dahl, Chad Georgell, and Hansberry were responsible for the last three goals of the game. Dahl and Hansberry are tied for the lead in the NCHA in points, both with 31. Georgell’s goal was his first of the season, his third point.
River Falls also leads the NCHA in scoring as a team averaging 4.94 goals a game. They are second in the NCHA in power-play scoring converting 30.6%.
The Falcons Stephen Ritter made 11 of 11 saves, while Page made 6 of 6. CMU goalie Boniface stopped 30 of 36 and Hand stopped 12 of 15 shots. Ritter has a .950 save percentage in his first four Falcon victories.
UWRF went 4 for 13 on the power-play and killed all 10 of the Cobbers power-plays.
The No. 6 ranked Falcons (12-2-3, NCHA 4-1-1) will be in Menomonie, Wis. Friday, Jan. 18, to take on the No. 8 ranked Stout Blue Devils (11-3-1, NCHA 4-2-0) at 7:30 p.m.
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Hansberry OT goal Caps off River Falls Late Come-Back Win, 4-3 Sophomore Tyler Czuba scored two third period goals, and junior Derek Hansberry netted the overtime game-winner with 36 seconds left to lead the No. 6 ranked Falcons over Saint John’s University, in St. Cloud, Minn.
Saint John’s senior Pat Eagles scored the first goal of the game, unassisted, mid-way through the first period.
UWRF’s senior Pat Borgestad answered with just 40 seconds left in the first frame on the power-play. Borgestad leads the NCHA with 17 goals, and is tied for third with 26 points. Assisting on his 17th goal was junior Dustin Norman and Hansberry.
The Falcons ran in to trouble when SJU’s sophomore Karl Gilbert and sophomore Dylan Decker scored the lone second period goals. Assisting on Decker’s first goal as a Johnnie was freshman Pat McClure, also his first assist for SJU.
Entering the third period the Falcons were down 3-1, until Czuba scored back-to-back goals, just 56 seconds apart from each other. On Czuba’s 10th goal of the season, the puck bounced to the slot, after SJU’s goalie Vince Wheeler had trouble gloving it, as both teams crashed the net, resulting in the RF goal. Czuba’s 11th goal as a Falcon was assisted by freshman Nolan Craner and Norman.
Hansberry picked up his NCHA leading 4th game-winning goal of the season in dramatic fashion. On the play Borgestad picked up his second point, and Norman earned his third point of the game.
Sophomore Stephen Ritter stays undefeated (3-0), making 37 saves. Wheeler made 36 saves in the losing effort.
The Falcons (11-2-3, NCHA 4-1-1) will take on Concordia-Moorhead (1-10-0, MIAC 0-4-0) Friday, Jan. 11th at Hunt Arena, 7:05 p.m.
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Borgestad Scores Twice to Patrick Borgestad scored two goals, and the Falcons scored five second period goals, en route to a 6-3 win over Bethel on Saturday night at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn.
BU led 1-0 after the first period, but the Falcons led, 5-2, after two.
Trailing, 1-0, Lance Malark scored his first goal of the season at 1:23. He was assisted by Jon Halstenson. Tyler Czuba gave the Falcons the lead for good with a goal just 48 seconds later. Dustin Norman and Nolan Craner picked up the assists. It was Czuba's ninth goal of the year.
Borgestad scored his first of the game, and 15th of the season, at 5:48 with assists to Jim Jensen and linemate Derek Hansberry. TJ Dahl then netted an unassisted goal, it proved to be the game-winner, at 9:26. It was his fourth of the year. The Falcons weren't done and Borgestad scored his second of the period at 13.45. Jim Henkemeyer picked up the loan assist. BU scored a pwoer-play goal at 18:06 to make it 5-2 after two.
Hansberry scored a power-play goal at 8:21 of the final period to give UWRF a 6-2 lead. It was his 14th goal of the year and he was assisted by Norman and Dahl. It was Dahl's 24th assist of the year. The Royals scored the final goal of the game with just 1:25 to play.
UWRF goalie Stephen Ritter made his second straight start and stopped 41 shots to get the win. He is now 2-0. UWRF finished with 38 shots on goal.
The Falcons took six minor penalties and BU took four. UWRF finished 1-2 on the power play and BU was 1-4.
The Falcons, now 10-2-3 overall, will next play at St. John's at 7 p.m., on Thursday. UWRF will host Concordia-Moorhead on Friday at 7:05 p.m., at Hunt Arena.
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Men's Hockey Team Blanks Marian College 3-0, in First Game after Break The No. 6 ranked Falcons came out of winter break with a new goaltender Stephen Ritter, putting up 3 goals to help him earn his first victory at UWRF.
The Falcons’ Tyler Czuba added his eighth goal of the season just minutes in to the game, setting the pace. The assists on the even strength goal came from Dustin Norman and Nolan Craner.
In the first period Marian College had trouble passing the puck out of there own end, leading to a lot icing and off-sides calls against them.
UWRF looked rusty moving the puck miss-connecting on numerous passes.
Early in the second period Marian’s Gregory Copeland clanked two shots off the post, persevering Ritter’s shutout.
The Falcons put away their second goal of the contest when Norman shelved the puck from deep in the slot. Norman initially got tied up by a defender, but freed his stick finding the handle and the back of the net for his eighth goal of the season. Assisting on the second RF goal was Craner and Czuba, all earning their second point of the game.
With under a minute left in the second frame, a fight ensued in front of the Falcons bench. Numerous penalties were handed out, one being on the Sabres’ Dmitry Sentsov for leaving the bench, resulting in a game misconduct.
In the third Derek Hansberry added the final goal of the game on the power-play. Assisting on Hansberry’s 14th goal of the season was Jason Usher and TJ Dahl. Dahl leads the NCHA with 26 points (3-23).
An encouraging sign for UWRF was the play of there newest goaltender. Ritter turned away breakaways, two-on-one breaks, rebounds, and anything else the Sabres shot at him. He earned his first win as a Falcon making 26 saves.
UW River Falls (9-2-3) will play Bethel University (8-3-1) Saturday at 7 p.m. The Falcons suffered a 2-1 loss against Bethel last season, knocking them out of the playoffs. Look for the Falcons to fight hard for revenge against the Royals tomorrow night in Blaine, Min.
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Men’s Hockey Team Loses NCHA Battle 5-2 to St. Norbert The River Falls Falcons top-line combines for six points, but falls short to power-house St. Norbert Green Knights at the Cornerstone Community Center in Green Bay. The Green Knights (9-1-1) jump two points ahead of the Falcons (8-2-3) in the NCHA standings with tonight’s victory.
The expected tight match-up proved to be true in the first period. UWRF had eight shots on goal and SNC had ten. Falcons’ goalie Tyler Owens and St. Norbert goalie Kyle Jones both looked sharp after the first frame, but the second was a completely different story.
The Green Knights hit the Falcons with three goals, just 3:53 apart from each other. Scoring on the SNC goals were Dustin Dubas, Nick Tabisz and Taylor Langford.
UWRF gained some momentum back when Pat Borgestad put in his first of two goals on the night. Borgestad was set up by his line-mates TJ Dahl and Derek Hansberry. This line leads the NCHA with a combination of 69 points (29-40).
Marc Belanger of the Green Knights adds another second period goal, his tenth of the season.
Owens struggled through a tough second period for the Falcons making just 9 of 13 saves (69%).
In the third period SNC adds their fifth goal of the game. Assisting on Ryan Petersen’s second goal of the year was Scott Pulak and Dubas. Petersen and Dubas record three points apiece, while Dubas has a two point night for the Green Knights.
Ten minutes later Borgestad adds his fourteenth goal of the season, topping the NCHA. Dahl and Hansberry both pick up their second helpers of the night.
With less than three minutes left the Falcons’ Riley Riddell and Brett Burgau get into a scrum with the Green Knights’ Jason Nopper and Dubas. All of the players involved receive game disqualifications.
The St. Norbert power-play clicks for three goals on five chances, while the River Falls power-play struggles producing on only one goal on five opportunities. UWRF produces 25 shots on goal, and SNC generates 28.
The Falcons next contest doesn’t come till January 4, when they take on Marian. The game is at Hunt Arena and will start at 7:05 p.m.
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Men’s Hockey Team Tops Lake Forest, 6-4 The No.4 Falcons, according to USCHO.com rankings grab a road victory tonight with five unanswered goals to end the game.
Falcons forward Pat Borgestad scores the first goal of the game, his 12th of the season with the assists going to forwards Derek Hansberry and TJ Dahl.
The Foresters answer with four straight goals, the first coming from Mike Kneeland. Lake Forest tacked on two more first period goals, one being shorthanded to jump ahead of the Falcons 3-1 going into the first intermission.
The Falcons early deficit might have surprised some considering the Foresters are currently ranked last in the NCHA in scoring offense averaging just 1.33 goals a game. On the other side of the spectrum UWRF has made it a habit of falling behind before a late offensive burst.
In the second period the Foresters Blake O’Keefe adds his first goal of the season, his third point of the game.
Dahl starts the comeback with a power-play goal in the second period, with the assists going to Borgestad and Hansberry.
Defenseman Jim Jensen registers the first of four third period goals.
Freshman Nolan Craner adds the next goal. Craner tops NCHA freshman in points with 9 (5-4) on the season.
Hansberry puts away the game winner, with the assists going to Dahl and Borgestad. Hansberry adds an empty net goal, his 20th (12-8) point of the year. Borgestad and Hansberry are both tied for first in the NCHA in goals with UW-Stout’s Derek Hanson and Joel Gaulrapp with 12 a piece.
Dahl finishes with a 4 point night, ranking him tops in the NCHA with 23 (3-20).
Tomorrow River Falls (8-1-3) travels to rival St. Norbert (8-1-1) in a battle for first place in the NCHA, game time 7pm.
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| Owens Named WIAC Hockey Player of the Week Dec. 4, 2007 Goaltender Tyler Owens (So., Detroit, Mich.) had two excellent outings in helping the Falcons win four points in WIAC and NCHA play last weekend and has been named the WIAC Player of the Week according to league Sports Information Director, Matt Stanek. On Saturday he recorded his second shutout of the season in a 5-0 win over UW-Stevens stopping all 42 shots he faced. On Friday, in a 5-3 win over UW-Eau Claire, he stopped 32 shots to get the win. In the two games he had a 1.50 goals against average and a .961 saves percentage. He has a save percentage of .907 and a goals against average of 2.72 this season. The Falcons, 7-1-3 overall, 2-0-1 in the WIAC and 3-0-1 in the NCHA, will play two NCHA road games this weekend. On Friday the Falcons, ranked No. 4 in this week's USCHO.com poll, are at Lake Forest at 7:30 p.m., and on Saturday the Falcons are at St. Norbert at 7 p.m. UWRF and St. Norbert are tied for first place in the NCHA going into this weeknd's action. |
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Men’s Hockey Team Blanks Stevens Point, 5-0 Sophomore goaltender Tyler Owens records his second shutout of the season, making 42 saves in the victory over the Stevens Point Pointers. Falcons forward Derek Hansberry had two goals on the night and defenseman Jim Henkemeyer had three points (1-2).
The games first goal came with just 1:16 left in the first frame when forward TJ Dahl scored his second goal of the season. This was the first of five UWRF power-play goals on the night. Dahl got the puck from Henkemeyer, skated between two opponents protecting the puck with his stick, parking the puck over Pointers goaltender Thomas Speer’s glove. Dahl was assisted by Henkemeyer and forward Pat Borgestad on the play.
UWRF started the second period with two quick power-play goals. The first came from forward Derek Hansberry, with the assists going to Henkemeyer and forward Dustin Norman, just 1:09 in to the period.
The Falcons third goal came just 29 seconds later when defenseman Jim Jensen netted his first goal of the season. Jensen lifted his stick and fired a one-timer shot past Speer. This power-play goal was assisted by forward Riley Riddell and defenseman Jason Usher.
River Falls scored again on the power-play when Hansberry earned his second goal on the night. He was assisted by Norman his second of the game and Dahl. Hansberry is ranked third in the NCHA in power-play goals with 5, and is 4th in the NCHA in goals with 10. Dahl is currently ranked third in the NCHA with 19 points (2-17), and his leading the NCHA in assists.
In the second period there were a total of 18 penalties, nine on each team, leading to three River Falls’ power-play goals. The majority of the calls came 3:11 in to the second period when Falcons forward Wade Harstad and Pointers forward Shane Foster got in to a fight, leading to game misconducts for both players.
The final goal of the game came on a 4 on 3 power-play for the Falcons when Jim Henkemeyer scored his third goal of the season. He was assisted by Hansberry. Henkemeyer is ranked third in the NCHA with 17 points (3-14) and tied for second in assists.
The USCHO.com No. 1 ranked River Falls Falcons (7-1-3) will be at Lake Forest (1-8-1) next Friday night at 7:30.
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Men’s Hockey Team Stays Undefeated in NCHA with a 5-3 victory over Eau Claire With two goals by forward Tyler Czuba, and solid goaltender play by Tyler Owens, the USCHO.com No. 1 ranked River Falls men's hockey team skates to their first win in two weeks.
UWRF forward Wade Harstad starting the scoring off just 2:08 into the game with a shot that beat Bluegolds goalie Tyler Brigl. Harstad slide the puck between Brigl’s five-hole, giving the Falcons the early lead and much needed confidence. Assisting on the goal was forward Lance Malark.
Eau Claire forward Sean Garrity answered five minutes later with his first of two goals on the night.
With three minutes left in the first, Czuba tapped in a goal on the 5-4 power-play. On the play forward Nolan Craner dished the puck to forward Dustin Norman, who then slid the puck to Czuba who was waiting on the backdoor. River Falls went to the locker room with a 2-1 lead after the first period.
The Falcons defenseman Jim Henkemeyer scored his second goal of the year on the 4-3 power-play. On the play Norman fed a pass to River Falls captain TJ Dahl who found the wide open Henkemeyer. From the top of the circle Henkemeyer skated in closer and wristed a laser past Brigl.
Ten minutes later Garrity added his second goal of the game with the assist going to forward Andrew Johnson. Garrity retrieved his own rebound and netted the puck on a defensive collapse by the Falcons.
River Falls has had trouble all season in the second period, but in tonight’s game they were able to kill three Bluegolds penalties. Owens was superb in this frame with 16 saves between the pipes, giving up just one goal.
Eau Claire came out strong in the third tying the game 3-3 on a Tony Jenssen goal, with the assists going to Garrity and defenseman Tyler Trudell.
Falcons Mitch Kerns answered midway through the third period with the game winner. Kerns received a sky-high pass from Henkemeyer that dropped in between his skates near the Bluegolds blue-line. He gained controlled of the puck as he skated into Eau Claire’s zone and fired a slap-shot that found the back of the net.
Henkemeyer tallied his 14th (2-12) point on the season, putting him tied for sixth in the NCHA.
Czuba added an insurance goal five minutes later, with the assists going to Harstad and defenseman Josh Meyers.
Owens should sides of improvement in net, making 32 saves on 35 shots, earning his fifth win of the season.
UW-River Falls (6-1-3) will take on UW-Stevens Point (5-2-0) tomorrow night at Hunt Arena, starting at 7:05.
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Falcon Men’s Hockey Team Suffers First Loss of the Season to St. Thomas, 5-0 The River Falls Falcon men's hockey team gets shutout for the first time since February 17, 2006 losing 5-0 to the St. Thomas Tommies at Saint Thomas Arena in Mendota Heights, Minn.
Coming in to tonight’s game UWRF was averaging 5.5 goals a game, but couldn’t manage to put even one goal past Tommies' goalie Tyler Chestnut. The Falcons combination of defensive and goaltender troubles caught up with them against the Tommies in tonight’s game.
St Thomas’ Nate Ryan scored his fourth of the year, the first goal of the game in the first period. The assists were recorded Todd Alexander and Andy Panchenko.
In the second period Tom Knutson, Ryan Hoehn, and Sean Bryant all added goals for the Tommies. St. Thomas entered the third period with a commanding 4-0, and left the Falcons scratching their heads.
The Falcons have struggled to put complete games together all season, particularly struggling in the second period giving up 57 percent of their goals (17 of 30) in this frame.
Knutson added another goal in the third period on a six on four man advantage, making the score 5-0.
Chestnut was excellent tonight making 28 saves against the normally explosive Falcon offense.
The Falcons (5-1-3) look to bounce back from tonight when they host NCHA opponents UW-Eau Claire (4-3-0) on Friday and UW-Stevens Point (5-2-0) on Saturday. Both of these home games will start at 7:05 p.m.
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| Falcons Still Ranked No. 1 in USCHO.com Poll Nov. 26, 2007 The Falcon men's hockey team is ranked No. 1 in the country, for the second week in a row, in this week's USCHO.com poll. UWRF received nine first place votes and garnered 275 votes in the weekly poll. The Falcons edged out Hobart (8-0-0) for the top spot. Hobart received 270 votes and was the nation's No. 3 team in last week's poll. Last week's No. 2 ranked team, Middlebury, dropped to the No. 7 spot. Four teams received first place votes. Hobart received three, while Elmira and Plattsburgh each earned four. Plattsburgh moved to the No. 3 spot and was ranked No. 7 last week. Elmira remained in the No. 4 spot. St. Norbert is ranked No. 5 again this week. The Falcons are 5-0-3 overall and played only once last week. UWRF battled to a 4-4 overtime tie with St. Mary's. Hobart is 8-0, Plattsburg is 9-1, Elmira is 5-0-1 and St. Norbert is 6-1. Stout (No. 8) and Superior (No. 13) are also ranked in this week's poll. Stevens Point received votes. UWRF plays at No. 10 ranked St. Thomas (5-1-1) on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The Falcons then host two NCHA opponents this weekend at Hunt Arena. On Friday the Falcons host UW-Eau Claire and on Saturday UW-Stevens Point comes to town. All home games start at 7:05 p.m. |
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Falcons Salvage Tie With Three The USCHO.com No. 1 ranked River Falls Falcons skated to a 4-4 tie against St. Mary's University Tuesday night. Pat Borgestad's rebound goal with only 24 seconds left in regulation helped earn the Falcons one point at home. In the first period both teams looked sloppy out of the gates. Both teams were missing passes and giving the puck away at both ends of the ice. UWRF dominated the first frame in shots goal with 17. This turned out to be a trend through out the entire game. The Falcon's TJ Dahl started the second period scoring with his first goal (: 34) of the season. Dahl was assisted by Jim Henkemeyer and Borgestad. Four minutes later Cardinals forward Sean Geiger scored the first of four consecutive St. Mary's goals. Geiger's goal found the back of the net after hitting the inside of the near post and finding the back of the net. The second Cardinals goals came from the stick of David Gross on the power play. The final goal of the horrific second period for the Falcons came from the tape of St Mary's Adam Gill. The third started with the Cardinals leading the game 3-1 and the Falcons wondering why they haven't been able to capitalize more than once with 29 shots on goal. Just 2:45 in to the third Gill parked his second of the game, widening the gab even further. At this point the Falcons needed to do put a goal on the board quick if they wanted any hope of coming back. That is exactly what forward Derek Hansberry did when he parked his eighth goal of the season. Next, it was Falcon forward Jordan McIntyre turn to contribute to the scoring, netting his first goal of the season. Assisting on the third River Falls goal was Dustin Norman and Chad Georgell. Georgell was just inches away from tying the game when he launched a slap-shot just inside the blue-line. The puck hit the post and fell behind Cardinal's goalie Dan Smith, as both teams scrambled towards it. The puck found its way to the back of the net, but was disallowed, because a UWRF player kicked it in. But, with just :24 left on the clock Borgestad netted the game tying goal off a rebound, with the assists going to Norman and Dahl. This was both Borgestad's and Dahl's 16 th point of the season, ranking them at the top of the NCHA point standings. The Falcons shot the puck 59 times compared to the Cardinals 18 earning their third tie in a row. |
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| Borgestad Named NCHA, WIAC Player of the Week
Nov. 20, 2007 Forward Patrick Borgestad (Sr., St. Paul, Minn.) scored five goals and one assist last weekend and has been named the NCHA and WIAC hockey Player of the Week. He scored the points in the team's 6-3 win at St. Scholastica on Friday and 3-3 overtime tie at Superior on Saturday. The 6-2, 205 pounder scored two goals and an assist in Friday's win. He scored the first goal of the game and added what proved to be the game winner at 7:38 of the third period. It was a power-play goal. On Saturday he scored all three Falcon goals with two coming with the Falcons on the power play. This year he leads the Falcons with 10 goals and is tied for the team lead with 14 points. He has a team-high four power-play goals and one game winner. "It's quite a feat when you can score five goals against two quality NCHA teams," said Falcon Coach Steve Freeman. "He has been one of our top all around players at both ends of the rink this season. He is off to a tremendous start." The Falcons, 5-0-2 overall, will host St. Mary's on Tuesday at Hunt Arena with action starting at 7:05 p.m. |
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Falcons Ranked No. 1 in USCHO.com Poll Nov. 19, 2007 The Falcon men's hockey team is ranked No. 1 in the country in this week's USCHO.com poll. UWRF received six first place votes and garnered 268 votes in the weekly poll. The Falcons edged out Middlebury for the top spot. Middlebury received 262 votes and was the nation's No. 1 team in last week's poll. The Falcons were ranked No. 3 in last week's poll. Six teams received first place votes. Hobart and Elmira, ranked at No. 3 and No. 4, each had two first place votes. Hobart was ranked No. 9 and Elmira was ranked No. 8 last week. St. Norbert and Manhattanville each received two first place votes and were ranked No. 5 and No. 6. The Falcons are 5-0-2 overall while Middlebury opened its season last weekend and is 1-0-1. Hobart is 8-0, Elmira 5-0-1, St. Norbert 6-1 and Manhattanville 5-1-1. Stout (No. 8) and Superior (No. 14) are also ranked in this week's poll. Stevens Point received votes. UWRF hosts St. Mary's at 7:05 p.m., on Tuesday at Hunt Arena. UWRF will then host Eau Claire on Nov. 30 and Stevens Point on Dec. 1 in NCHA games at Hunt Arena. |
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Falcons Play to 3-3 Overtime Tie at UWS The No. 3 ranked River Falls men's hockey team skated to a 3-3 overtime tie at Superior on Saturday night with forward Pat Borgestad scoring all three of the UWRF goals.
Borgestad's first goal came with just 40 seconds left in the first period. He was assisted by defenseman Jim Henkemeyer and Josh Meyers. The first period ended with the Falcons on top.
In the second period UWRF proved that their power-play was one of the best in the country scoring on two out of three chances. Borgestad scored his second goal midway through the period, with the assists going to T.J. Dahl and Henkemeyer.
The Yellowjacks answered with a goal just 31 seconds later coming from Nate Rein. Assisting on Rein's goal was Shane Bailey and Talon Berlando. Just 1:36 later UWS netted another goal by Andrew Fisher. He capitalized on a Mitch Kerns tripping penalty, tying the game up at two a piece.
Borgestad delivered the third goal of the night, his 10th of the season. This power-play goal was assisted by Dustin Norman and Henkemeyer. The assist was Henkemeyer's 10 th of the year.
UWS was down, but not out, and was able to tie the game, as the Falcons played a more conservative third period. UWS outshot the Falcons 14-4 in the third period. With just a little over two minutes left the Yellowjackets Logan Isley scored the game tying goal, which sent the game into an extra frame.
Neither team was able to create any goals in overtime. UWRF had three shots and UWS two in the five minute extra session.
Falcon goalie Tyler Owens played an excellent game making 43 saves on the 46 shots he faced. The Yellowjackets Chad Beiswenger didn't face nearly as many shots, making 24 saves on 27 shots. The Falcons were able to pick up three of a possible four points on the road in the opening weekend of NCHA action. Friday night the Falcons grabbed a 6-3 win at St. Scholastica.
River Falls, now 5-0-2 overall, will be at home for their next game against St. Mary's on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. |
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Three Third Period Goals Lead Falcons to a 6-3 Victory on the Road
The Falcons top line was clicking again tonight scoring four of the six River Falls goals. Borgestad tailed the first goal of the game, his sixth of the season, when he was assisted by forward Derek Hansberry and defenseman Jim Jensen. The Saints Jordan Baird answered on the power-play with the first of three Saints first period goals. Hansberry made the game 2-1 when he scored his seventh goal of the season, tying him for second in the NCHA in goals. The assists went to Dahl and defenseman Jim Henkemeyer. The Saints added two more goals in the first frame, the first coming from A.J. Tucker and the second coming from Joey Martini, with only 54 seconds left. The second period saw much less scoring then the first period. Henkemeyer tied the game at 3-3 when he netted his first goal of the season, with the assists going to Borgestad and Dahl. The third period belonged to UWRF. Borgestad started the onslaught with his second goal of the game, seventh of the season, tying him for second in the NCHA and tying him for first on the team. This power-play goal proved to be the game winning goal, with the assists going to Hansberry and Dahl. Currently Dahl is leading the NCHA in assists with 13, and ranks second on overall points, all coming from assists. Tyler Czuba added an insurance goal with just 7:23 left in the game, with the assists going to forwards Wade Harstad and Nolan Craner. The last goal of the game was put in by freshman forward Alex Lundbohm, his first career colligate goal. Freshman line-mate Brett Burgau earned the assist on Lundbohm's goal. Goalie Tyler Owens picks up his fourth win of the season facing 25 total shots. Tomorrow the Falcons are looking to stay undefeated when they take on the Superior Yellowjackets in Superior at 7 p.m. |
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Falcons Claw Their Way Back Earning a 4-4 Tie in OT against St. Olaf The No. 3 ranked Falcons scored the last three goals of the game against the Oles, leaving Northfield Ice Arena with a 4-4 tie.
St. Olaf started the first period scoring with a goal by Barret Simons (5:46) with the assist going to Bryan Osmondson.
River Falls forward Nolan Craner added his fourth goal of the season (12:00) on the power-play, tying the game at one goal a piece. Assisting on Craner’s goal was forward Tyler Czuba and defenseman Jim Jensen.
The second period started with Oles Nick Stalock scoring his fifth goal of the season, with the assist going to Jeff Budish (1:07). Budish then tacks on a goal (3:35) of his own on a Jon Halstenson tripping penalty. Oles Dylan Mueller added on another second period goal (10:20), with the assist going to Budish.
The Falcons have had trouble in the second period all season giving up 9 out 15 goals in this frame.
Falcons forward Derek Hansberry brought the game a little closer netting an unassisted goal (11:28).
Czuba scored next bringing the game to a one goal lead for the Oles. Assisting on Czuba’s fourth goal of the season was forward Mitch Kerns and Craner (6:49). Hansberry then tied the game up with his sixth goal of the season, second of the night. The game tying goal was assisted by forwards Pat Borgestad and TJ Dahl (11:10). Dahl is averaging two assists per game.
UWRF goalie Clark Oliver faced 30 shots, 13 coming in the second frame. Oles goalie Brycen Eberwein faced 32 shots, 17 coming in the third period.
Next weekend the Falcons will be on the road against St. Scholastica on Friday at 7 p.m., and against Superior on Saturday at 7 p.m. This will be River Falls' first NCHA action of the season.
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Falcons edge Gustavus Friday Night 6-5 Two goals by Dustin Norman and first year Falcon Tyler Czuba help the No. 3 ranked Falcons escape Hunt Arena with a 6-5 win on Friday Night. It was clear in the first period that this would be the most physical game UWRF has played in all season. Forward Pat Borgestad drew a penalty by shoving one of the Gustie players in to the Falcons cross bar early in the first period, ensuing in a two minute minor for roughing.
Falcon’s defenseman Josh Meyers started the scoring with a powerful shot just inside the blue-line that tricked passed Gustie’s freshman goalie Nick Kellogg. It was Meyer’s first goal of the season, assisted by forward Riley Riddell and Lance Malark. River Falls forward Dustin Norman scored the next goal by finding the top right corner of the net beating Kellogg’s glove; assisting on the goal was forward Mitch Kerns.
Last weekend Norman earned WIAC and NCHA player of the week. He continued his goal scoring spree by scoring two more tonight.
UWRF began the second period leading 2-0. They added two quick goals, the first by Norman, his seventh goal of the season. He was assisted by defenseman Jim Henkemeyer and forward Pat Borgestad. The next came on a penalty shot by Falcons forward Tyler Czuba. Czuba earned the penalty shot when he was dragged down from behind by Gustavus defenseman Cody Martinson. On the shot Czuba went to his left and fired a shot across his body that found the back of the net.
At this point River Falls looked to have things under control with a 4-0 lead near the beginning of the second period.
Gustavus showed they weren’t giving up by tailing three consecutive goals, two on the power-play. The first Gusties goal was scored by defenseman Jay Fifield (6:44), next by forward Josh Pauer (14:47), and the third by forward Eric Bigham (15:47).
With only eight second left in the second period Czuba got his own rebound and took the puck around the net, wristing a wrap around goal behind Kellogg.
In the second period the Falcons were penalized eight times and Gustavus six times resulting in one power-play goal for the Falcons and two for Gustavus.
Entering the third the Falcons were up by 5-3.
Forward Nolan Craner added an unassisted goal at the start of the third. The goal appeared to be just an insurance goal, but turned out to be the game winner.
Gustavus made the game interesting netting two goals just four minutes apart from each other, midway trough the third. The goals were scored by Martinson and Brad Wieck. River Falls (4-0-0) will play against St. Olaf (1-2-0) at the Buffalo Civic Center tomorrow night at 7:05.
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| Norman Named WIAC, NCHA Player of the Week
Nov. 6, 2007 Forward Dustin Norman (Jr., South Delta, B.C.) has been named the WIAC and NCHA Player of the Week. Norman scored five goals in the team’s 7-0 win over Augsburg on Friday and a 5-4 win over Hamline on Saturday. Against Augsburg Norman recorded his first career hat trick. He scored a goal in each period including the game-winner in the first period. On Saturday night Norman netted two more goals with both coming in the first period. He is tied for third on the team with six points (5-1). He already has half as many goals as he did last season. “He has an outstanding shot that he can really get off quickly. He’s a threat whenever he has room to shoot the puck,” said Falcon Coach Steve Freeman. On Friday the Falcons host Gustavus Adolphus at Hunt Arena with the puck dropping at 7:05 p.m. On Saturday the Falcons play at St. Olaf at 7 p.m. |
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Falcons Escape Saturday Night’s Game against Hamline with a 5-4 Win Forwards Pat Borgestad and Dustin Norman score two goals a piece to lead UWRF to a 5-4 win over the Hamline Pipers Saturday night at Hunt Arena. In the first period the Falcons came out firing with a quick goal 48 seconds into the contest by Borgestad. Forward Derek Hansberry drew a defender as he slid a pass to Borgestad, parking a wrist shot taken directly in front of Pipers goalie Matt Wanvig.
Hamline answered with a goal of their own 3:20 after the Falcons scored. The goal was scored by forward Dustin Fulton, with the helper going to defenseman Jared Hummel. This was the first of four Piper power-play goals on the night.
River Falls marched back with three unanswered goals to finish the first period. Borgestad netted his second goal with the assist going to Hansberry. Norman scored the other two goals of the period, ending his impressive weekend of scoring with five goals. Forward Mitch Kerns picked up an assist on each of Norman’s goals, with another assist going to forward Wade Harstad.
The second period started with the Falcons leading 4-1. That turned out to be enough of a deficit for Pipers Coach Scott Bell to make the goalie switch from Wanvig to Zachary Faust.
Hamline brought the game to only a two goal deficit when Fulton scored his second goal of the game with the assists going to Hummel and forward Joe Long.
Hansberry answered with his fourth goal of the season. On the play, forward TJ Dahl fed a pass to defensemen Jim Henkemeyer who riffled a pass to Hansberry, scoring on the one-timer.
Hamline make the third period interesting by netting two goals within the first 3:12 of the period, making it a 5-4 UWRF lead. The Falcons were able to hold on to the victory, fighting off the Pipers 6-5 attack for the last :35 of the game when Faust was pulled.
Falcon’s freshman goalie Clark Oliver made 36 saves in his first game as a Falcon and first collegiate victory.
UWRF will battle Gustavus Adolphus and St. Olaf next weekend at Hunt Arena. They play Gustavus on Friday Nov. 9 at 7:05 p.m. and St. Olaf on Saturday Nov.10 at 7:05 p.m.
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Norman’s Hat Trick and Owens Shutout Lead Falcons to 7-0 Win Forward Dustin Norman had one of his best games as a Falcon scoring his first career hat trick in UWRF’s 7-0 win over Augsburg on Friday night at Hunt Arena. Norman scored 4:34 into the contest on a power-play goal with assists to Jim Henkemeyer and TJ Dahl. Norman received the pass from Henkemeyer, took his time to line up his slap-shot, and parked it in the right corner. The first period ended with the Falcons leading 1-0.
Only 1:22 into the second period, Falcon defenseman Henkemeyer hit Auggies forward Brett Way in the left knee injuring him on the play. Way was able to get up and skate off the ice under his own power.
The Falcons netted three more goals in the second period. Wade Harstad started the second period scoring with a goal from Tyler Czuba and Nolan Craner. The third Falcon goal was scored by Norman, with Mitch Kerns and Jason Usher earning the assists. The next goal came from Craner. Craner launched a shot that trickled by Auggie goalie Andy Kent with only 42 seconds left in the period.
In the second period defenseman Jim Jensen laid out one of the Auggie forwards and was called for interference. Jensen drew a loud reaction from the excited Hunt Arena crowd.
The third period started with the Falcons leading 4-0. Kerns scored the Falcons first shorthanded goal of the season, and his first goal of the season, 49 seconds into the period. The goal was assisted by Jordan McIntyre and Henkemeyer. Forward Pat Borgestad netted his third goal of the season snapping a wrist shot from the right side. The final goal of the game came again from Norman with the assists going to Henkemeyer and Dahl.
On the power-play Norman is used as a defenseman because he has a very fast and has an accurate slap-shot. He scored all three of his goals using his slap-shot, and two of the three goals coming on the power play. Norman’s third goal came just as a power-play expired.
First year Falcon goalie Tyler Owens played another great game helping UWRF to a shutout. Owens was tested a little bit more against the Auggies than he was last weekend against the Northland in a 9-2 UWRF win. He recorded 17 saves and he now has a season save percentage of .935. He looked solid against the Auggies one man-advantage, as well as against their even strength attack.
The Falcons will be at home Saturday night at Hunt Arena against the Hamline Pipers, with the game starting at 7:05.
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Hansberry’s Hat Trick; Dahl’s 5 Assists Help Lead Falcons to a 9-2 Victory Derek Hansberry scored the hat trick and TJ Dahl had five assists in the Falcons 9-2 season-opening win over Northland on Saturday night at Hunt Arena. The Falcon offense didn’t wait long to start its scoring assault on Lumberjacks. Hansberry scored one of his three goals 4:30 in to the contest, from Dahl and Patrick Borgestad assist. Less than a minute later Mitch Kerns fed Wade Harstad the puck where he put it in the back of the net, giving the Falcons the 2-0. The Falcons were able to control the puck a good portion of the game, using their speed and size to dominate the offensive zone. They were able to win face offs and stay aggressive the entire game.
The first period ended with the Falcons leading 2-0
In the second period the Falcons showed why they were NCHA champions last season by netting five goals. Hansberry scored his second goal of the game 12 seconds in to the period. Just over 30 seconds later Harstad put in his second goal of the game, with Kerns getting his second assist.
Northland’s Tony Huberty scored the Lumberjacks first of two goals 4:38 into the second period, on the power-play. Borgestad was in the box for interference.
Three minutes later Hansberry scored his third goal of the game, earning him the hat trick. Hansberry created space using his speed and snapped a wrist shot from close range. He was assisted by Dahl and Jim Jensen.
Northland scored its second and last goal of the game on a power-play, when forward Rick Delecke scored. Nick Matson of the Lumberjacks attempted a wrap-around but River Falls goalie Tyler Owens was able to make the save. Owens over committed to the play leaving a wide open rebound to Delecke. The Falcons gave up both of their goals on the penalty kill.
Freshman forward Nolan Craner netted the sixth River Falls goal, taking advantage of the power-play. He was able to tap in a rebound that came from a Jensen shot from the blue-line. Jensen earned his second assist on the goal, and defenseman Jason Usher earned his first assist.
With 13 seconds left in the second period first year Falcon Tyler Czuba scored his first collegiate goal.
The Falcons entered the third period with a 7-2 lead. They tacked on two more goals, both by Borgestad. Dahl assisted Borgestad on both of these goals. Hansberry and Norman also earned assists on goals by Borgestad. On both of these goals Borgestad scored from point blank range, sliding the puck past Lumberjacks goalie Daniel McIntosh.
The Falcons will be at home next weekend when they play non-conference opponents Augsburg and Hamline. They host Augsburg on Friday and Hamline on Saturday. Both games start at 7:05 p.m.
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Falcons Open Season Hosting Northland By David Urbaniak The Falcon men's hockey team opens its season this weekend hosting Northland at 7:05 p.m., at the Hunt Arena. The Falcons are coming off a 2006 NCHA regular season championship and are looking forward to repeat, but will first have to fight through a tough NCHA schedule. The UW-River Falls offense looks to be in good shape with the return of one of the NCHA’s best lines in the veteran crew of TJ Dahl, Derek Hansberry and Pat Borgestad. These three players all fell in to the top 10 in points in the NCHA last season, with Dahl leading the NCHA in points with 52, earning him NCHA Player of the Year honors. The talented first line of Falcons is joined by the return of effective scorers Dustin Norman, Mitch Kerns and Wade Harstad, along with an array of new players. "We have a lot more depth this year at the forward position, which will take some pressure off that line (Dahl, Hansberry, Borgestad)," said Falcon Coach Steve Freeman, who is entering his 12th season at UW-River Falls. The first power-play unit is unchanged from last season. They recorded 75 percent of the team's power-play goals (44). The Falcons power-play unit racked up a 1.52 goals per power play in 29 games, which led the NCHA. "With Dahl, Hansberry, and Borgestad and then Jim Henkemeyer at the top with Dustin Norman the power-play unit really buzzed for us last year. We expect the same thing from that unit," said Freeman, who has won Coach of the Year honors eight times. The Falcon defense lost one of its toughest players on the blue line with the departure of Chris Robinson. The defense returns Henkemeyer, who plays well at both ends of the ice, tailing seven power-play goals, ending the season with 24 points. Joining Henkemeyer on defense are seniors Jim Jensen and Jason Usher. The defense needs to play aggressive this season if the team wants to return to the NCAA tournament. "We have always taken pride on how well we play defensively as a team, usually the best defensive team leads to being the top team in the league. The returning players we have that understand our system will make us strong defensively. With the new goalie situation it is important that we play well in front of that player," said Freeman. The biggest question mark the Falcons have at the start of the season is who will be the starting goalie. Last season AJ Bucchino played in all 29 games for the Falcons, but this season will be a different story. "Were doing it by committee so far, we are trying to figure out who the No. 1 goalie is going to be for us, and that hasn't become clear for yet. We have some quality goaltenders here, we hope that one takes the reigns and becomes the top goaltender for us this season," said Freeman. The Falcons return four players who earned a variety of post-season awards. Dahl, Hansberry and Henkemeyer were all named to the first All-NCHA team while Borgestad earned honorable mention. Hansberry, Henkemeyer and Dahl all earned AHCA All-American honors also. "Physically we are in good shape, we have the depth to adsorb injuries if that does occur, things are going well and we are looking to get the season started," said Freeman, who has 220 wins in his tenure with the Falcon program. The Falcons will be home for their first four games of the season. After this weekend the Falcons host Augsburg on Nov. 2 and Hamline on Nov. 3. On Nov. 9 the Falcons host Gustavus Adolphus. All home games start at 7:05 p.m. The Falcons open NCHA play on the road. On Nov. 16 the Falcons are at St. Scholastica and on Nov. 17 they go to UW-Superior. The NCHA’s strength is shown by the USCHO.com pre-season poll where four league teams were ranked in the top 12; St. Norbert at No. 2, UWRF at No. 6, UW-Superior at No. 9 and UW-Stout at No. 12. In the annual NCHA coaches’ poll, St. Norbert picked up four first place votes and is the choice to win the league title. The Falcons were picked second and had one first place vote. Stout was third and St. Scholastica, which picked up two first place votes, was picked to finish fourth. |
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University of Wisconsin–River Falls |
