The St. Francis Varsity Boy’s Hockey team skated into the Fogerty Ice Arena on Tuesday, December 17, with their eyes on the prize. Their opponents were the Spring Lake Park Panthers, with 4-2 standings, as well as motivation to get another win.
The fighting Saints had a record of 1-5, and their coach was only dressing eight players that night. Crowds filled up on both sides, parents got their popcorn, and the superfans clenched their blankets as they waited for the game to begin.

Senior Lukas Abraham started off the game with a goal in the first period, assisted by Sam Karas, causing a riot full of excitement for the St. Francis fans and parents. Spring Lake Park attempted to score to redeem themselves, although senior goalie Judd Bruner did not allow a puck to fly in.

The crowd got another boost of excitement as senior Kyle Wagner flew by the Panther’s defensive line and got another goal, with the help from Sam Karas and Lucas Carroll, in the first period of the game.

Intermission came around and the score was 2-0. Both teams came out ready to play again as the second period began. Bruner did not allow the Panthers a chance to score, blocking 28 goals overall in the entire game.

The Panthers achieved one goal during the third period, although the Saints kept the battle going strong. With smart passes throughout the entire game, the time kept ticking down and did not allow the Panthers to redeem themselves.

The last minute of the game was the most intense part overall due to the determination of both teams. The game ended with a score of 2-1, and the fighting Saints added another W to their standings.