Cardinals come back, win in shootout

October 30, 2006 —

by Brandon Kish

Sophomore Adam Munro scores on a breakaway in the third period of the Cardinals Club Hockey Team's 9-8 shootout victory over Calvin College on Friday night. Munro's second of the season brought SVSU within one, and senior Ryan Michaels tied the game with slightly more than a minute remaining.

Without its top scorer, the SVSU Club Hockey Team rallied back from a two-goal third period deficit to win 9-8 in a shootout over Calvin College Friday night.

The win was an important one early in the season, as prior to the game, the two teams were tied for fourth in the ACHA College Club Hockey Rankings.

Freshman Jon Tibaudo was ejected just four minutes into the third period as the Cardinals trailed the visiting Knights 7-5, but SVSU was able to keep them from scoring and send the game to overtime.

Sophomore defenseman Adam Munro scored shorthanded with 10:25 left in the period, taking a muffed pass in the Cardinals zone and racing in on a breakaway and beating Calvin goalie John Singleton to cut the deficit in half.

"We're going to win," coach Steve Hart said of his team's mentality after Tibaudo left the game. "I preach that every second of every period, we have to have our pedal to the floor."

The Knights played conservatively to try to keep the Cardinals out of their offensive zone and did so effectively, holding on to the one-goal advantage for much of the period. But senior forward Ryan Michaels stepped up, taking a pass in the right faceoff circle from freshman Mike Tinkle and putting a wrist shot over the glove of Singleton.

"Ryan is one of our most poised players," Hart said. "He's been in so many championships before, he has the experience to stay calm out there."

The goal was Michaels' 13th of the season, the second most on the team.

The Cardinals began the overtime period on the power play but were unable to capitalize, forcing a five-man shootout.

Both teams' third shooter scored, as Emery Lovse snuck one by senior Cardinals goalie Brad Altenbernt and Tinkle pushed a slap shot past Singleton. Altenbert came up with two big saves before junior defenseman Brian Jensen scored the game winner on the last shot.

Hart said he already knew what his shootout lineup would before entering the game. The coach said the Cardinals practice a shootout in the last 10 minutes of practice.

"It's all worked out before the game," Hart said.

The ejection of Tibaudo looked like it was going to be costly for the Cardinals. The freshman out of Harper Woods felt he scored on a shot and argued his way to the locker room.

"He was just running his mouth," Hart said. "Jon is an emotional guy, and he let his emotions get the best of him. He apologized to me and the team following the game."

Tibaudo scored his 14th and 15th goals of the season in the game, the second of which came on the power play after he was checked from behind into the net.

The Knights put up six goals in the second period, torching freshman goalie Nolan McNalley the entire period. Altenbernt took over after Calvin scored its final goal in regulation, an unassisted score by Jeff DeKorne with 3:06 left in the period. The senior came into the game with a 4.94 goals against average but shut down the Knights to keep SVSU in the game.

The SVSU offense was impressive in the first period, scoring three goals. Michaels began the scoring, converting a breakaway about eight and a half minutes into the game. Tibaudo scored off an assist from Michaels with about five minutes left in the period, then assisted on sophomore forward Matt Fogal's fifth goal of the season with 2:40 left.

Calvin came back with two goals in the second to tie the game at 3, but a resilient Cardinals team responded with two goals to go back up two. The Knights proceeded to score four more times in the period to take the 7-5 lead into the third.

The win pushed the Cardinals' record to 7-2-0-1 on the season before a Halloween rivalry game with Northwood. The Timberwolves, who lost 4-3 to Wright State in the ACHA National Tourney Championship Game last season, come into the game with a 5-1 record.

Following Tuesday's matchup, the Cardinals travel west to face Grand Valley State on Friday and No. 1 Hope College on Saturday.