Hockey / LAWRENCE TECH PREVAILS IN NAIA FIRST-ROUND GAME

LAWRENCE TECH PREVAILS IN NAIA FIRST-ROUND GAME

Date:  Source: NAIA Hockey

Faced with adversity, the Waldorf hockey team played determined to advance at the inaugural NAIA Division National Tournament.

Battling even with Lawrence Tech throughout much of the night, a late run by the Blue Devils led to a 6-2 win that ended the Warriors season Thursday night.

"It just wasn't our night," Waldorf head coach Brett Shelanski said. "We were chasing the game for the better part of the last two periods and that's a tough spot to dig out of."

Down 1-0 after the Blue Devils scored a second-period goal, the ferocious Waldorf attack answered on the forecheck with a delicious pass from Jeffrey Bartel to a wide open Patrick Freeman in front of the net.

Freeman netted the equalizer with a wrist shot past Lawrence Tech netminder Austin Petty, making it 1-1.

Still an even battle, Lawrence Tech's offense supplied four straight goals to help the Blue Devils break the game open as they advance to the NAIA Semifinals to face Aquinas on Friday at 8 p.m.

Alex Schlueter's empty netter with 3:56 left in the third period finished the four-goal surge and made it 5-1, but the Warriors would not go quietly.

Matthew Liggett's electrifying shot from the point forced Petty to give up a rebound, and Sean Mallonee made the Blue Devils pay with a second-chance backhander in the back to the net to cut the deficit to three goals with just under two minutes remaining.

The Warriors kept peppering Petty in the last two minutes in a comeback attempt, but Waldorf simply ran out of time.

Freshman Ryall Purdy got the start in net the Warriors, with the underclassman performing very well between the pipes in the first two periods. The first period saw Purdy convert on all 10 of his save opportunities as the game entering the first intermission tied 0-0.

Purdy allowed just two goals in the second period as the Warriors trailed 2-1 going into the locker room, and three four overall as two of Lawrence Tech's goals in the third period were empty netters.

The loss ends Waldorf's inaugural NAIA season with an overall record of 7-15-2 and 4-11-2 in NAIA play, and also marks the finish of the collegiate career of seniors Bartel, Jeremy Navarro, Travis Park, Liggett, Buddy Napier and Cameron Batchelor.

"We want to thank our seniors for their hard work and dedication to this program," Shelanski said. "They have accomplished a lot on and off of the ice in their time here and helped pave the way for the move to the NAIA varsity level."