Ranked 'Jacks win in a tussle

Tension and emotions ran high when the Cloquet-Esko-

Carlton boys hockey team hosted East Grand Forks at Northwoods Credit Union Arena Saturday. Eventually, the No. 3 ranked Lumberjacks were able to secure a wild and thrilling 4-3 win over the No. 7 ranked Green Wave.

"We got the great start we were looking for, and then we started going to the penalty box and the flow of the game changed," said CEC coach Shea Walters.

CEC took a 1-0 lead just 1:40 into the game when Neil Elsmore slammed home a pretty pass from Connor Sullivan. Hudson Snesrud started the play and got the second assist after picking up the loose puck and hitting a streaking Sullivan on the play.

At 2:53 of the first period Mason Robbins of the Green Wave went off for tripping and the 'Jacks wasted little time in scoring as Grady Knutson finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play from Snesrud and Bobby Thornton, giving CEC a 2-0 lead on the power play.

"We were really playing well and putting on the pressure up to that point," Walters said. "Then things changed quickly."

At 6:01 of the first period, Knutson shot the puck after the whistle. The shot would have resulted in a minor penalty, but things exploded when three Green Wave players went after Knutson in the corner to let him know he should not have shot after the whistle. At that point, Knutson's teammates jumped in to protect him. By the time the dust cleared, the officials had given CEC's top center, Bobby Thornton, a five-minute major for fighting and a game misconduct. That meant the Green Wave went on a five-minute power play and Thornton was out for the game.

"That was tough because we not only lost one of our top players, but we also had to kill off a five-minute penalty," Walters said. "I am really happy with how our penalty killers came to play on Saturday."

CEC killed off the penalty as well as one other penalty on Luca Gentilini for interference, and the 'Jacks came out of the first period leading 2-0.

EGF finally got on the board at 5:23 of the second period on a shot by Hunter Varnson, with assists going to Jace Van Eps and Cooper Hills.

The Lumberjacks answered back at 11:50 of the second on a 5-on-3 power play goal by Niko Gentilini with an assist from Kaden Willis as CEC went up 3-1. The Green Wave answered with another goal of their own before the end of the period, when Tucker Lovejoy made it 3-2 at 14:03.

"After we lost Bobby, it just changed everything as far as our lines, our penalty kill and our power play," Walters said. "I am really happy with how hard our guys fought, but that is a good team over there and they made us work for it."

EGF tied the game 3-3 at the 1:51 mark of the third period when Nolan Muelebroeck took a feed and snapped a shot past CEC net minder Jacob Iallonardo. From that point on, it was any team's game.

"Jacob played a great game between the pipes for us and he was fantastic," Walters said. "Your goalie has to be your best penalty killer and he absolutely was. He saw the puck, he controlled the puck and advanced the puck when he had the chance, and that's all you can ask for a goalie."

Things got extremely interesting when the 'Jacks took a roughing penalty with just 1:59 to play in regulation, putting them down a man on the ice.

"We needed a big play at that point and, boy, did we get one from Conor Sullivan," Walters said.

With EGF on the power play, Sullivan knocked a puck down at the point and was able to get behind the Green Wave defense as he raced up ice on a potential breakaway. Sullivan was hooked by Cooper Hills, but Sullivan fought off the hook and as he moved in on the EGF goal. Hills slashed Sullivan, causing him to lose the puck. That play resulted in a penalty shot for the 'Jacks as well as an extra penalty on Hills.

"Sullivan made a great play and the officials got the call right, giving us a penalty shot," Walters said.

Walters elected to have Niko Gentilini take the penalty shot and the crowd erupted as Gentilini swooped in on EGF goalie Ryan Rockstad and tucked the puck into the lower portion of the net, giving CEC a huge win.

"I like where we are at as a team right now," Walters said of his 4-0 squad. "The locker room feels different and is very tight knit. When you have a good group that believe in each other and hang with each other, these are the types of things you'll see."

Lumberjacks fans hope that this version of the purple can keep the momentum going as they move on throughout this winter season.

The Lumberjacks were on the road for two games this week, a 4-2 overtime win over Proctor Tuesday and a matchup with St. Michael-Albertville Saturday. The next home game will be against St. Cloud Cathedral at

7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19.