Boys hockey: Red Wing gets 'big victory'

Red Wing scored four goals in the final period to defeat Prior Lake 6-3 Thursday at Prairie Island Arena, yet it was the first period that set the tone for the game.

The Wingers have made a habit of starting slow this season, but they registered 15 hits, multiple scoring chances and the first goal in the opening period.

Senior Josh Mensing scored a short-handed goal at 8:39 to put Red Wing ahead 1-0. Mensing would go on to register three assists.

“I think the kids are starting to (realize) that in order for us to win hockey games we have to get a better start than we have been,” Wingers coach George Nemanich said. “We did a nice job with the hits. That really helped us a lot.”

The Wingers failed to carry that momentum into the second period. After tying the score at 14:38 of the first period, the Lakers outscored Red Wing 2-1 in the middle frame.

Nemanich said he was concerned his team was tiring, but the third period was all Wingers.

Patrick Noesen, a senior, tied the game at 9:53 and then sophomore Jack Strusz scored the game-winning goal on a two-on-one at 12:01. Sophomore Jake O’Borsky assisted on both goals.

Noesen’s younger brother, Marcus, added an insurance goal at 14:54. The sophomore deked out Prior Lake goalie Kyle Miller on a breakaway. O’Borsky capped the scoring with an empty-net goal.

Junior Sam Amendolar made 17 saves to earn the win.

“It was a big victory,” Nemanich said. “We really got back to the kind of game we needed to play.”

Red Wing (9-10 overall, 7-3 Missota Conference) is at Farmington on Tuesday.

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