Defeated no more!

The Royals boys hockey team recorded their first win of the season in a thrilling overtime win against the Minneapolis Millers. The final score of the game was 6-5. The game was quite close during the first three periods, and was tied up 5-5 after the third, but ultimately was decided by Ryan St. Clair, senior, captain.

Minneapolis started the scoring off during the first period with two goals, and took the 0-2 lead. The Royals came into the second period strong, but only to give up two more unanswered goals to the Millers, going down 0-4.

Midway through the second period, Sam Haberman, sophomore, scored his first varsity goal, assisted by Jesper Hoffman, junior, making the score 1-4. The Royals quickly answered again, when Johnny Meland scored his first of the season, and was assisted by St. Clair and Connor Staack, junior, cutting the Miller’s lead 2-4.

The Millers netted another goal, going up 2-5. But quickly after Henry Sweeney, sophomore, also scored his first varsity goal on the man-up, assisted by Carter Johnson, senior,  to put the Royals up to 3-5 at the end of the second period.

The Royals came out after the third period determined to get ahead in the game. Wyatt Nelson, sophomore, scored his first varsity goal, assisted by Johnson, to bring it to 4-5. Johnson tied it all up with a goal assisted by Luke Peterson, senior, alternate captain, to end the third.

The Royals headed into overtime determined to win after the comeback they made, coming back from 2-5. The work finally paid off when St. Clair finally netted the game winning goal, and was immediately greeted by his teammates rushing out onto the ice.

“It was an unreal feeling, to net a beauty of a game-winner for the boys,” St. Clair said.

The Royals will play their next game against the Benilde-St. Margaret’s Red Knights on Sat. Dec. 17 at the St. Louis Park Recreational Center Arena at 7p.m