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LHS hockey boys hitting their stride

By
Brennen Rupp

It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, and the Luverne Cardinals boys’ hockey team is playing some of their best hockey at the right time.
After losing to Waseca 7-1 on Friday, Feb. 19, the Cardinals responded by defeating the Blue Jays in Waseca on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 5-4 in overtime.
They then took a red-hot New Ulm Eagles team to the brink. The Eagles entered Thursday’s contest against the Cardinals riding a nine-game winning streak.
The Cardinals gave New Ulm everything they had but ultimately lost to the Eagles, 4-3 in overtime.
‘This group has shown that they are resilient,” Luverne head coach Phil Paquette said. “Last week’s effort was outstanding. If we can continue to play the game that way, we will have a lot of success in the final two weeks of the season.
Our hope is that this group starts to believe in what they can do when they play the game the right way and we finish the regular season peaking at the right time.”
 
LHS 5, Waseca 4
The Cardinals picked up their fourth win of the season on Tuesday in Waseca by defeating the Blue Jays 5-4.
Waseca scored the lone goal in the first period to take a 1-0 lead into the locker room.
It was all Luverne in the second period, as the Cardinals scored three goals to take a 3-1 lead into the third period.
Carlton Oftedahl started the scoring to tie the game at 1-1. Cade Wenninger and Brock Behrend both recorded assists on Oftedahl’s goal.
A goal from Zach Kruse put the Cardinals up 2-1. Henry Hartquist recorded the assist on Kruse’s goal.
Behrend wrapped up the scoring in the second period to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead. Wenninger recorded the assist on the goal.
The Blue Jays struck first in the third period to trim Luverne’s lead to 3-2.
Behrend scored his second goal of the game to put the Cardinals back up by two. Wenninger and Oftedahl both recorded assists on the goal.
The Blue Jays scored the final two goals in regulation to force overtime.
In the overtime period, Behrend scored the game-winning goal to give the Cardinals the 5-4 victory. It was Behrend’s third goal of the game. Oftedahl and Wenninger both recorded assists on the game-winning goal.
Shaid Shearer recorded 44 saves in the winning effort for the Cardinals.
 
New Ulm 4, LHS 3
The Eagles got on the board first by scoring a goal four minutes into the game. That New Ulm goal would be the lone goal in the opening 17 minutes.
Wenninger scored the first goal in the second period to tie the game at 1-1. Behrend recorded an assist on the goal.
Behrend then gave the Cardinals a 2-1 lead when he put one between the pipes. Oftedahl recorded an assist on the goal.
The Eagles answered back by scoring the final goal of the period to make it a 2-2 game heading into the third period.
Hartquist put the Cardinals up 3-2 when he scored a goal two minutes into the final period.
An Eagles goal with less than four minutes to play tied the game at 3-3.
A Keagan Shiro goal 4:30 into the overtime period gave the Eagles the 4-3 victory.
Shearer finished the game with 60 saves.
The Cardinals currently own a 4-8 record and will host New Ulm on Tuesday, March 2.
They’ll then host the Marshall Tigers on Friday, March 5, and Fairmont on Saturday, March 6.

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