The St. Cloud Norsemen are all tied up in the North American Hockey League Central Division Finals series 1-1 after a 6-2 win over the Aberdeen Wings to close out the weekend at home.
The Norsemen saw an offensive explosion from all across the lineup as 12 players registered a point with five different goal-scorers in the 6-2 victory. Forward Hunter Hanson (Blaine, MN) led the way with a career-high four-point night, two goals and two assists, including the game-winning goal and a shorthanded empty netter.
Hanson’s linemates, forward Kade Peterson (Fargo, ND) and Jackson Hughes (South Lyon, Mich.) also put points on the board, Peterson scoring a goal and dealing an assists, while Hughes dished a pair of helpers.
Forward Peyton Hanson (Hudson, Wisc.) put the Norsemen on the board at 8:43 of the first. Forward Brandon Lajoie (Eagle River, AK, Alaska-Anchorage) made it 2-0, putting home the rebound on a shot by defenseman Wyatt Wurst (Edina, MN) with an assist by Ryan O’Neill. Wurst earned his third career point in the NAHL with the assist, giving him a three-game point streak.
Aberdeen scored first in the 2nd, but the Norsemen answered 30 seconds later with Hunter Hanson’s first goal of the game and the playoffs, off passes from Peterson and Hughes.
With a 3-1 lead heading to the third, Aberdeen once again cut the St. Cloud lead to one, but the Norsemen responded four minutes later with O’Neill’s second goal of the playoffs, assisted by forward Max Strand (Roseau, MN/Vermont) and defenseman Evan Murr (Stillwater, MN/Minnesota State-Mankato). O’Neill (Roseville, MN/University of St. Thomas) leads the Norsemen in playoff points with nine.
St. Cloud added insurance a minute later on another tic-tac-toe scoring play from the fourth line, as Peterson scored his first of the playoffs, with Hanson and Hughes earning assists.
With a later power play, Aberdeen emptied its net, and St. Cloud made the Wings pay. Hanson scored his second of the game, a shorthanded empty net goal, with penalty killing defensemen Broten Sabo (Rosemount, MN) and Nick Young (Raleigh, NC) tallying assists.
Goaltender Tomas Bolo (Zilina, Slovakia) earned his fourth win of the playoffs and 33rd victory of the season, making 24 saves. Bolo has a 2.03 goals against average and a .923 save percentage in the postseason.
Scoring Summary: Saturday, St. Cloud 6, Aberdeen 2
1st
8:43 STN Peyton Hanson (2) ASST: Hunter Hanson (1)
14:15 STN Brandon Lajoie (2) ASST: Wyatt Wurst (3), Ryan O’Neill (7)
2nd
7:24 ABD Ronan Walsh (4) ASST: Owen DuBois (2), Hugo Gustafsson (1)
7:54 STN Hunter Hanson (1) ASST: Jackson Hughes (1), Kade Peterson (1)
3rd
6:10 ABD Owen DuBois (3) ASST: Jacob Bosse (3)
10:22 STN Ryan O’Neill (2) ASST: Max Strand (4), Evan Murr (4)
11:16 STN Kade Peterson (1) ASST: Hunter Hanson (2), Jackson Hughes (2)
18:30 STN Hunter Hanson (2) ASST: Broten Sabo (4), Nick Young (1) (EN, SH)
Friday night, the Norsemen fell 5-4 to Aberdeen in overtime, the team’s third overtime game in the postseason. Blake Mesenburg (Orono, MN/Miami) and O’Neill both scored, while Sabo scored twice including the third period tally to force overtime. Sabo is tied with Mesenburg as St. Cloud’s playoff goals leader with 3. The Norsemen have had 17 different players record at least a point in the playoffs, 16 of them with two or more points.
Scoring Summary: Saturday, St. Cloud 6, Aberdeen 2
1st
12:10 STN Blake Mesenburg (3) ASST: Ryan O’Neill (5), Wyatt Wurst (2)
12:59 ABD Hugo Allais (1) ASST: None (PS)
16:29 STN Broten Sabo (2) ASST: Peyton Hanson (3)
2nd
5:01 STN Ryan O’Neill (1) ASST: Blake Mesenburg (2)
8:23 ABD Owen DuBois (2) ASST: Hugo Allais (3) (SH)
13:06 ABD Landry Schmuck (2) ASST: Kyle Gaffney (4), Will Gilson (3)
19:07 ABD Ronan Walsh (3) ASST: Will Gilson (4), Owen DuBois (1)
3rd
13:53 STN Broten Sabo (3) ASST: Max Strand (3), Ryan O’Neill (6)
OT
7:15 ABD Kyle Gaffney (1) ASST: Jackson Yee (2), Ronan Walsh (2)
The Central Division Finals are tied 1-1 as the series moves to the road. St. Cloud travels to Aberdeen for games 3 & 4 of the series on Friday & Saturday, May 13-14 at 7:15 p.m. at the Odde Ice Center. Tickets are available online at tickets.aberdeenwings.com and fans unable to travel can watch live with a subscription at HockeyTV.com
The Norsemen Playoffs are presented by Premier Real Estate Services.
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