Peters Cup Stays with St. Norbert

(From SNC Sports Information)
GREEN BAY - St. Norbert College extended its Northern Collegiate Hockey Association record for most Peters Cup Playoffs championships with its 10th after dispatching UW-Stevens Point 4-0 in front of a sellout crowd of 2,011 at the Cornerstone Community Center.

The Green Knights (17-5-5) claimed their fifth Peters Cup title in the last six years, and secured a NCAA Division III Tournament berth with the win. St. Norbert, the defending national champion, will likely open the tournament by hosting a national quarterfinal game next Saturday at the Cornerstone. The NCAA bracket will be release about 8:30 p.m. CST Sunday night. Stevens Point, making its first Peters Cup championship appearance since 2000, finished the year 14-11-4.

St. Norbert's white-hot power play stayed clicking, with the Green Knights cashing in on three power-play goals in five chances. St. Norbert is now 11-for-19 in its last four games with the man advantage, a blistering 57.9 percent.

The Green Knights scored on their first power-play chance to take a 1-0 lead. Alain Joanette knocked home a loose puck at the 10 minutes 37 seconds mark off assists by Cullen Bradshaw and Seth Soley.

St. Norbert scored twice in the third period to take a 3-0 lead. Cody Keefer finished off a beautiful tic-tac-toe combination at 2:26, with Johan Ryd and Carl Ekstrom assisting. Soley then scored at 14:40 when he beat Stevens Point goaltender Brandon Jaeger five-hole, with Bradshaw and Marian Fiala assisting.

The Green Knights closed out the game at 3:41 of the third period when Kyle Stroh scored from Ryd.

St. Norbert outshot Stevens Point 27-21 and did not allow a goal in the Peters Cup Playoffs - a first in school history. David Jacobson turned in his second-consecutive shutout with 21 saves. Jaeger made 23 saves for the Pointers, who were 0-for-5 on the power play.