BELOIT, WI — In a Friday night battle at the Woodman's Sports & Convention Center, the Beloit College Buccaneers (2-8-1, 1-5-0, WIAC) displayed flashes of brilliance and resilient defensive play before ultimately falling 5-2 to the visiting St. Scholastica Saints (4-7-1, 1-4-1 MIAC). Despite the final score, the Buccaneers held a lead in the second period and forced the Saints to earn every inch of ice in front of a home crowd of 185 fans.
The game opened with high intensity, but the Saints struck first when Braden Junker found the back of the net five minutes into the first period. Rather than letting the early deficit dictate the pace, Beloit responded with a disciplined counter-attack.
The momentum shifted significantly at the 10:59 mark of the first frame. Following a strong forecheck, Andronique Stepanian (Reynoldsburg, OH) netted his second goal of the season, capitalizing on sharp assists from Valerii Kneib (Dmitrov, Russia) and Kaden Milles (Fairbanks, AK). The goal ignited the home crowd and sent the teams into the first intermission deadlocked at 1-1.
Beloit carried that energy into the second period, orchestrating their most dominant stretch of the game. Just over three minutes into the period, the Buccaneers surged ahead 2-1. Milles notched his first goal of the season, finishing a sequence set up by Max Von Klinggraeff (Edina, MN) and Nik Johnson (Minneapolis, MN).
During this stretch, Beloit controlled the neutral zone and utilized their physical presence to disrupt the Saints' transition game. For a significant portion of the second period, the Buccaneers appeared to have the Saints on their heels, threatening to extend the lead.
As St. Scholastica began to ramp up the pressure in an attempt to reclaim the lead, Beloit goaltender Andrew Yocum (St. Louis, MO) became the focal point of the Buccaneers' defense. Yocum turned in a heroic performance, facing a relentless 45 shots on the night.
Yocum made 13 saves in the first, 13 in the second, and 14 in the third, finishing with 40 total saves. His ability to track the puck through traffic kept Beloit within striking distance even after the Saints regained a 3-2 lead late in the second period on a power-play goal by Evan Pahos.
Entering the final frame down only a single goal, Beloit fought to find the equalizer. J.D. Shoniker (Burlington, ON) was a force in the faceoff circle, winning 12 of his 20 draws (60%) to help Beloit maintain puck possession. However, the Saints' depth eventually wore down the home side, with St. Scholastica adding an insurance goal at 15:22 and an empty-netter in the final minute.
The Buccaneers return to action on the road on Sunday in Appleton, against Lawrence University. Puck drop is set for 7 pm at the Appleton Family Ice Center
