Raider boys' skaters go 1-2 at Schwan’s Cup

• Senior co-captain Ryan Dau

Senior co-captain Ryan Dau, pictured in a game earlier this season at Gornick Arena, led the Raiders with two goals and four assists at the Schwan’s Cup Holiday Tournament in Blaine, Minn., last week. Photo by Bob Burrows

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One day after losing a 5-4 heartbreaker to Sartell in the consolation semifinals, the Raider boys’ hockey team posted a 3-0 shutout over Owatonna to finish seventh in the Bronze Division of the Schwan’s Cup in Blaine, Minn., last week.

The Raiders opened tournament play with a 3-1 loss to Mounds View last Wednesday.

Senior co-captain Ryan Dau had a hand in six of the eight goals scored by the Raiders at the tournament, including a goal and three assists in the team’s 5-4 overtime loss to Sartell in Thursday’s consolation semifinal.

Dau assisted on the first goal of the game by Dylan Haskins at the 11:05 mark of the first period and picked up his second assist on a power play goal by Daniel Tripicchio four minutes later that gave the Raiders a 2-1 lead. Haskins also assisted on the score.

Sartell scored the only goal of the second period to tie the score, 2-2, then stretched the lead to 4-2 in the third before Hudson scored twice in the final five minutes to force overtime.

Dau cut Sartell’s lead to 4-3 with 4:47 left, assisted by Taylor Casey, then assisted on Spencer Korum’s game-tying goal with 59 seconds remaining. But Sartell scored at 5:47 of overtime to escape with the win.

Goaltender Matt Strachota made 24 saves as Sartell outshot the Raiders, 29-24.

Strachota stopped all 24 shots he faced Friday against Owatonna and Tripicchio scored a pair of goals as the Raiders ended the tournament with a 3-0 victory.

After a scoreless first period, Tripicchio gave the Raiders the only goal they would need on a power play at the 4:24 mark of the second, assisted by Dau and Chris Berglund. Dau extended the lead to 2-0 with an unassisted shorthanded goal with two minutes remaining in the period.

Tripicchio made the final 3-0 with his second goal of the game less than three minutes into the third period, assisted by Michael Hommes and Greg Berg.

Wednesday in the tournament opener against Mounds View, Casey scored the only Raider goal, assisted by Haskins, at the 12:55 mark of the second period to make it a 2-1 game. But Mounds View scored the only goal of the third period to hand the Raiders a 3-1 loss. Strachota made 14 saves as Mounds View outshot Hudson, 17-14.

The Raiders, now 4-5-0 overall, 3-2-0 in the Big Rivers Conference, travel to Chippewa Falls (5-7-0, 2-2-0) for a BRC game Thursday, Jan. 6 before visiting third-ranked Superior (6-4-1) on Saturday, Jan. 8.

Tags: sports, hockey, raiders, prep