Steel outlasts North Stars in NA3HL opener

Two unanswered third period goals was the difference as the Twin City Steel opened its NA3HL season with a 5-3 edge against the host Breezy Point North Stars in one of two games played on Friday night.

The other contest saw the West Michigan Wolves dropping a 2-1 decision at Jamestown, NY against the Southern Tier Express.

Steel 5 at North Stars 3 

The host North Stars saw a great early effort wasted as the home team score the first two goals and open up a 3-1 lead just past the four-minute mark of the second.

The Steel rallied back with two in the final six minutes of the frame to pull even and then grab its first lead of the night in the fifth minute of the third. Another with just over seven minutes to go stood up as insurance.

Ben Hersman, a ’97 from Minnetonka, MN and Tom Reilly, a ’97 from White Bear Lake, MN both picked up a goal and assist in the game while Jared Erickson, a ’96 from Waupaca, WI set up a pair in the Steel win.

Other Steel goals came from Trevor Woytke, a ’98 from Mound, MN; Zak Lambrecht, a ’97 from Stacy, MN and Tristan Mayer, a ’96 from Woodbury, MN.

Sean Viti, a ’96 from Chicago; Reise Kieffer, a ’96 from Gilbert, Arizona and Josh Laven, a ’96 from Hopkins, MN scored for the North Stars.

Jon Albers, a ’97 from Centennial, MN stopped 12 of 15 to pick up the win for the Steel while Magnus Lindhe, a ’96 from Stockholm, Sweden handled 27 of 32 in goal for the Stars.

Wolves 1 at Express 2 

Despite pounding out a combined 73 shots, the visiting West Michigan Wolves and host Southern Tier Express managed just three goals.

Teams collected one goal in each period, the Express sandwiching Brandon Benaglio‘s second period marker with their goals in the first and final frames.

Benaglio, converted a feed from Devin Farkas for the goal — both of them ’95’s from Battle Creek, Michigan.

Kyler Chartier, a ’96 from Duluth, MN had both of the Express goals.

Tyler Gelonek, a ’97 from Bellbrook, Ohio stopped 39 of 40 Wolves’ shots to earn his first win of the season and Joe Licata, a ’95 from Jackson, New Jersey stopped 31 of 33 at the other end.