Luverne junior defenseman Steven Berghorst pokes the puck away from Mankato East’s Taylor Sorgatz during a boys’ hockey game played at the Blue Mound Ice Arena Tuesday, Nov. 26. The Cardinals beat the Cougars 4-2 in the first game of the season for both teams.
By John Rittenhouse
The Luverne boys’ hockey team racked up a pair of wins to open the 2002-03 season last week.
The Cardinals nipped Mankato East by two goals at the Blue Mound Ice Arena Tuesday, Nov. 26. LHS then recorded a one-goal win against Minneapolis Edison in Minneapolis Saturday.
Luverne, 2-0 overall, hosts Fairmont tonight.
Luverne 1, Edison 0
A solid defensive effort anchored by senior goalie Cody Gehrke set the stage for Saturday’s win over Minneapolis Edison in Minneapolis.
Gehrke blanked the hosts while stopping 26 shots. According to Cardinal coach Lee Chaffee, the net-minder received a lot of help from his defenders.
"Cody played very well — as you would expect in a 1-0 game, there was a lot of defense involved. Our defensive coverage was good. Every once in a while we got a little bit sloppy, but we did the job," he said.
The lone goal of the game came in the second period when Cardinal Dan Park found the net after being set up by Andy Hess and Gregg Fuerstenberg.
Edison sported a 26-24 advantage in shots on goal in the game.
Luverne 4, ME 2
The Cardinal boys enjoyed a successful start to the season when they toppled Mankato East by two goals at the Blue Mound Ice Arena Tuesday, Nov. 26.
A three-point performance by senior Eric Lammert set the pace offensively for LHS. A solid goal-tending effort by Gehrke also played a key role in the win.
The teams skated to a scoreless draw in the first period before scoring a combined four goals in the second period.
Matt Reverts gave the Cards a 1-0 lead when he scored after being set up by Lammert at the 7:58 mark of the second stanza, but the Cougars knotted the game at one when Chad Hager found the net with 4:31 remaining in the period.
Luverne took the lead for good by scoring twice in a 21-second span late in the second period.
Lammert put the Cards in front 2-1 after being assisted by Reverts. Tony Smedsrud drilled a slap shot into the net at 1:17 to make it a 3-1 game. Lammert and Chris Morgan received assists for Smedsrud’s tally.
ME made it a one-goal difference when Cody Drysdale scored 1:27 into the third period, but Luverne’s Hess got the goal back with an unassisted effort with 3:53 remaining.
Gehrke stopped 32 of 34 shots in net for the Cards. Luverne had 26 shots on goal.