Aberdeen, S.D. — The St. Cloud Norsemen opened the first Central Division road trip of the the season with a win at Aberdeen, spoiling the Wings home opener and banner unveilings from last season’s division and regular season championships.
St. Cloud earned the 3-1 victory, scoring a goal per period and defending a late push by the Wings, with goaltender Ethan Dahlmeir earning the win and making 21 saves in his first career NAHL regular season start.
The Norsemen trailed Aberdeen 1-0 in the first period after a goal by Nathan Mann. St. Cloud State commit, Norsemen defenseman John Opilka, scored to tie the game for St. Cloud with two and a half minutes to play in the first.
In the second period, Logan Kittleson put the puck past Kyla Kozma for his fourth goal of the season to give the Norsemen the lead 2-1. In the third, Hunter Hanson extended the lead with a goal off a pass by Ryan O’Neill to make it 3-1.
Kittleson and O’Neill continue to pace the Norsemen in points with 9 points each, on four goals and five assists apiece.
St. Cloud’s defense was strong, blocking multiple shots and only allowing 22 shots to make it to the net, Dahlmeir saving 21. The Norsemen held Aberdeen to its second lowest-scoring mark this year, with Shreveport shutting the Wings out 1-0 in a Robertson Cup rematch at the NAHL Showcase.
The Norsemen (4-1-0) face off against the Wings (4-3-0) once again tonight at the Odde Ice Arena in Aberdeen at 7:15 p.m. CT and the game can be streamed live on HockeyTV.
Scoring Summary:
1st
Aberdeen – Goal: Nathan Mann; Assists: Owen DuBois, Seamus Campbell
St. Cloud – Goal: John Opilka; Assists: Logan Kittleson, Marc Lund
2nd
St. Cloud – Goal: Logan Kittleson; Assists: Nik Hong, Kade Peterson
3rd
St. Cloud – Goal: Hunter Hanson; Assists: Ryan O’Neill, Blake Mesenburg
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