Box Score

DULUTH, Minn. (uwrfsports.com)- The University of Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons men's hockey team opened up its' 2015-2016 campaign in Duluth, Minn. squaring off against the College of St. Scholastica Saints.
 
The 11^th ranked Falcons battled the Saints to a 3-3 tie.
 
Senior Tanner Milliron started the game between the pipes for the Falcons, as he did last year for the Falcons. Milliron was strong in net for the Falcons, as he stopped 16 of the 19 Saints shots.
 
The first period was a quiet one for the Falcons, but they were presented with two power play opportunities. UWRF did not get any shots on goal during the first power play, but were able to get off one shot on goal during the second power play.
 
UWRF opened up the scoring at the 8:03 mark in the second period when last year's leading goal-scorer sophomore forward Kyle Gattelaro buried the puck past the Saints goaltender. Junior foraward Christian George assisted Gattelaro on the goal.
 
With over two-and-a-half minutes left in the second period, the Falcons doubled their lead to 2-0 on a goal by junior forward Mitch Kontny. Freshman forward Joe Drapluk and junior forward Taylor Burden each got an assist on the Kontny goal.
 
Going in to the third period, the Falcons had the momentum and, more importantly, the lead. With five minutes left in the third period, it looked like the Falcons were going to shutout the Saints, but at the 15:37 mark in the third period CSS cut the Falcons' lead in half to make the score 2-1.
 
Not even a minute later, CSS scored another goal to knot the game up at 2-2.
 
After the Saints scored the equalizer, UWRF head coach Steve Freeman called a timeout to calm his guys down, and it worked. About a minute-and-a-half later the Falcons regained the lead, in a crazy third period, on an unassisted goal from junior defenseman Jeff Bergh.
 
Even though there were less than three minutes left to play in the third period, the scoring was not over.
 
With one minute left to play in the third period, the Saints pulled their goaltender to send an extra attacker on the ice. The gamble paid off for the Saints, as they scored just six seconds after they pulled their goaltender to bring the game to a 3-3 tie with less than a minute left in regulation.
 
UWRF could not get a shot on goal in the final minute, so the game went to overtime.
 
The five-minute overtime was scoreless, but the Falcons had a great opportunity to get the win when Gattelaro was tripped in the goal crease to force a penalty shot. Gattelaro attempted the penalty shot, but was stopped by the Saints goaltender.
 
Along with the penalty shot attempt, UWRF controlled the overtime period, as they got eight shots on goal to the Saints three shots on goal. Neither team was able to break the 3-3 tie before the end of overtime, so the game ended in a tie.
 
Gattelaro led the Falcons with five shots on goal and freshman defenseman Ryan Gotelaere was right behind him with four shots on goal.
 
The goal scorers for the Falcons were Gattelaro, Kontny, and Bergh.
 
The Falcons (0-0-1) are back in action on Saturday, October 31 when travel to Ashland, Wisc. to square off against Northland College. The puck-drop is set for 7 P.M.