Defenseman Ben Jentsch looks at the scoreboard after the Tommies lost 2-1 in overtime to the Johnnies Saturday night. Jentsch has played 19 games and scored three points this season. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Defenseman Steve Sorensen chases the puck shortly before receiving a penalty for cross-checking. Sorensen received an All-MIAC honorable mention last year. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Forward Ben Vikich battles St. John’s Kevin Becker during the second period. Vikich played junior hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Forward Bobby Murphy faces off with St. John’s starter Neal Smith. St. Thomas lost 2-1 to St. John’s in Saturday night’s men’s hockey MIAC conference game. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Forward Jordan Lovick skates down to the St. John’s net in the second period. Lovick attempted and missed the goal. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Forward Thomas Williams passes the puck up the ice away from the St. Thomas net. Williams scored two goals and had five assists in the last six games. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Forward Cullen Willox looks to block a pass by Becker. St. Thomas ended its 34 consecutive winning seasons with Saturday’s loss to St. John’s. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Forward Joakim Broberg sends the puck past a St. John’s defenseman in the first period of Saturday’s game. Broberg has scored six goals this season, four of which were power play goals. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
After leading 1-0 for nearly 58 minutes, St. Thomas looked as though it would be making its way to the MIAC championship game once again, but two goals from St. John’s defender Joe Freemark and forward Andrew Commers in a span of about six minutes rewarded the Johnnies with a 2-1 overtime victory in the MIAC semifinals Saturday night at St. Thomas Ice Arena.
Freemark netted the equalizer with 1:40 left in the third period, and Commers scored the game-winner with 3:34 remaining in overtime. Boesser said his Tommies got out-fought in the waning moments of the game.
“They were pushing hard; they were trying to tie the game,” Boesser said. “They just got out-battled.”
St. Thomas (13-7-5 overall) spent most of the game overpowering St. John’s (13-9-4 overall). The Tommies outshot the Johnnies through the first two periods and registered the lone goal in those periods from defender Johnny Roisum.
As a delayed penalty was called on St. John’s, a swarm of Johnnies raced toward the puck near the right sideboards as it was about to leave their zone, but Roisum hustled down the rink and snagged the puck first.
Roisum moved parallel to the blue toward the top of the slot and then unleashed a shot that maneuvered through plenty of bodies before making its way past goalie Saxton Sole. This was Sole’s only blemish of the game en route to stopping 23 shots.
As the minutes slowly expired in the third period, St. John’s offense quickly accelerated. The Johnnies pummeled Morris with shots, but he denied any chance. Morris eventually turned away 24 shots in the game.
With just under two minutes left in the third period, one shot from forward Huba Sekesi bounced off the left pad of Morris, and Freemark scooped up the rebound and put it in the back of the net. The game-winner from Commers was a slap shot that came from just above the right faceoff circle and was unassisted.
The loss gives Morris a 13-7-5 record on the season, and this was the senior’s lone season starting in the crease for the Tommies, given that he backed up All-American and former Division III Player of the Year Drew Fielding.
“He (Morris) should leave this rink with his head held high. He played so well; he had a couple of unbelievable saves,” Boesser said.
Morris is one of nine seniors on this roster who has played his final game in the purple. The other eight are defenders Michael Pieper, Steve Sorensen and John Kirtland and forwards Nick Nielsen, Connor McBride, Bobby Murphy, Willie Faust and Jordan Lovick. Through their four years at St. Thomas, they’ve tallied a 63-30-13. Boesser mentioned that these seniors were one of the first classes to commit to the culture change three years ago.
“I was pretty sad in there, and that’s what makes our time so special in there; they really care,” Boesser said. “When you see grown men crying, you know they care.”
Jesse Krull can be reached at krul7386@stthomas.edu