By John Rittenhouse
The Luverne boys’ hockey team fell from the unbeaten ranks while competing at the New Prague Tournament late last week.
Luverne went 1-2 at the four-team, round-robin event. The Cardinals placed third overall with their 1-1 mark.
The Cardinals opened the tournament by losing a one-goal decision to St. Peter-Le Sueur-Henderson Thursday before falling by seven counters to the host team Friday. Luverne avoided a winless tournament experience by nipping Worthington by one goal Saturday.
Luverne will take a 7-2-1 record into the 2003 portion of its schedule. The Cardinals host Waseca Saturday before playing in Marshall Tuesday.
Luverne 6,
Worthington 5
Tony Smedsrud’s fourth goal of the game gave the Cardinals their lone victory during the New Prague Tournament Saturday.
The score was tied at four entering the third period before the Cards moved in front 5-4 with a goal by Thomas Gluf. Andy Hess received an assist for the tally.
Worthington tied the game at five as the period progressed, but Smedsrud settled the issue with 13 seconds remaining when he scored after being set up by Gregg Fuerstenberg.
The teams scored two goals each in the first and second period.
The Trojans led 2-0 in the first period before Smedsrud netted an unassisted goal and Hess found the net with assists going to Gluf and Dan Park to knot the score at two.
Eric Lammert set up Smedsrud’s second goal of the game that gave LHS a 3-2 edge in the third period, but Worthington scored the next two goals to gain a 4-3 lead.
Smedsrud tied the game at four before the second period was complete.
Brad Van Santen stopped 20 of 25 shots in goal for the Cards. Luverne had 31 shots on goal in the game.
NP 8. Luverne 1
A solid New Prague squad controlled play while recording a seven-goal win over the Cardinals Friday.
The hosts scored twice in the game’s first period to gain an early lead before scoring three goals in the second and third stanzas to win handily.
Luverne’s lone goal of the game came in the second period, when Tyler Elbers found the net after being set up by Hess and Park.
Cody Gehrke made 29 saves in 37 attempts as Luverne’s goalie.
The Cardinals had 16 shots on goal in the game.
SP-L-H 2, Luverne 1
The Cardinals received their first setback of the season when they took on St. Peter-Le Sueur-Henderson in Thursday’s opening round.
SP-L-H opened a 2-0 lead by netting goals in the first and second period before withstanding a late challenge by Luverne to win by one.
Luverne, which was limited to 15 shots on goal in the game, did record a counter in the third period.
Hess netted an unassisted goal to cap the scoring.
Pat Bennett made his first varsity start as a goalie for LHS. Bennett stopped 22 of the 24 shots he faced in the game.