FOND DU LAC, Wis. - The Beloit College Buccaneers got on the board first, but Marian answered with five unanswered goals and handed Beloit a 5-1 loss Tuesday night at the Blue Line Family Ice Center. The defeat drops Beloit to 0-4-0 on the young season, while the Sabres improved to 2-1-1.
Beloit looked sharp early. After killing off a Marian power play in the first period, the Buccaneers took the lead at 7:41 when senior-line forward Max Von Klinggraeff (Edina, MN) found the net for his first goal of the season, assisted by Valerii Kneib (Dmitrov, Russia). It was the only goal Beloit would score, but it gave the Buccaneers a 1-0 edge after one period.
Beloit had a golden opportunity to extend that lead. Marian's Sheldon Shyiak was whistled for a five-minute boarding major at 10:01, giving the Buccaneers a lengthy power play. Beloit generated chances, including shots from Von Klinggraeff, Nik Johnson (Minneapolis, MN) and Josh Gulden (New Ulm, MN), but could not convert before the penalty expired at 15:01.
The Sabres tied the game at 8:37 of the second period on a goal by Nuutti Kennilä, then took the lead for good at 11:25 on the first of three goals from Lucas de la Salle. Marian outshot Beloit 10-6 in the middle frame.
De la Salle added his second at 10:14 of the third to make it 3-1. Cole Carlson hit an empty-net goal at 17:43, and Preston Lundbohm capped the scoring at 18:39 to complete the 5-1 final.
Goaltender Anthony Zolezzi (Oswego, IL) was busy all night, stopping 23 of the 27 shots he faced over 59:20 in net, with eight saves in each of the first two periods and seven in the third. He took the loss (0-2-0), but Beloit's goal was empty for the final 40 seconds of Marian's scoring when the Sabres added an empty-netter, which was charged separately from his record. Up front, Von Klinggraeff scored Beloit's lone goal and finished with two shots on goal, while Kneib assisted on the goal and also finished with two shots. Will McDonald (Madison, Wis.) and Johnson each put two shots on net, and McDonald also served Beloit's first-period penalty. At center, J.D. Shoniker (Burlington, ON) was dominant at the faceoff dot, winning 12 of 15 draws (80.0%), and Zach Hutchinson (West Salem, WI) took the most draws on the team, going 7-12, and added a shot on goal.
THe Buccaneers return to the Woodman's Center on Friday and Saturday for two games agaisnt Hiram College. Puck drop on Friday is set for 7pm. Following Saturday's game, Beloit College Men's Hockey and Beloit College Athletics will recognize the seniors. Saturday's game is set for 4 pm.
