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Eagles hockey glides by Cardinals, 8-1

FAIRMONT — Fairmont Area produced a 30-28 edge in shots-on-goal and committed two penalties for 4 minutes to Windom Area’s nine infractions for 18 during Big South hockey action Thursday night.

Unfortunately for the hometown Cardinals, the visiting Eagles proved more efficient in converting shots into goals as seven different Windom Area players etched their names into the scoring column en route to an 8-1 conference victory at Martin County Arena in Fairmont.

Junior defenseman Ethan Becker proved the playmaker for Windom Area, collecting the first of his game-leading three assists to trigger the visitors’ 5-for-14 shooting efficiency during the game’s first 27 and a half minutes to build a 5-1 lead.

Becker released a liner that deflected off of a Fairmont Area defender, and Jesse Pigman chipped it past Cardinal goaltender Colby Kuhl at the 8:37 juncture of the opening period.

Windom Area center Kyle Espenson then distributed the first of his two assists on the game by centering a pass to wing Alex Woizeschke, who flipped the puck up and over Kuhl’s shoulder for a 2-0 lead with 5:18 to go in the first frame.

Oddly, the Cardinals held a one-man advantage with 2:46 remaining in the initial segment before having a 5-on-3 power play only 32 seconds later, but came away empty-handed.

Eagles netminder Peter Ignaszewski, who notched a game-best 29 saves, gloved Fairmont Area defender Tony Nuss’ backhanded shot before using his pads to prevent Tom Havnen from finding the net.

The Cardinals eventually finished 0-for-6 on power-play opportunities.

“We worked on our power-play (Wednesday), but we didn’t play with the urgency we needed tonight,” said Fairmont Area assistant coach Clint Forstrom. “Obviously, that’s something we need more work on.”

Freshman wing Mikel Anderson then doubled Windom Area’s margin with back-to-back goals to open the second period.

Anderson proved to be in the proverbial right place at the right time, corraling Becker’s original shot on goal that Kuhl deflected toward the point. Anderson tapped the ricochet into the net for a 3-0 lead at the 14:37 mark of the second.

Anderson then controlled an odd bounce and with one quick flip of the wrist knocked the puck into the left corner of the cage at the 10:02 juncture.

Fairmont Area wing Tyler Head finally spoiled Ignaszewski’s shutout bid by beating the Eagles’ senior goalie on a breakaway along the right wing. Bryan Karp threaded an accurate lead pass to Head, who wristed his shot past Ignaszewski with 8:28 left in the middle frame.

Defender David Volk then bounced an odd-caroming clearing pass off the boards from mid-ice that found its way into a vacated Cardinals’ net for a rare short-handed Eagles’ goal with 6:29 left in the second period.

Becker later assisted Jacob Cory’s blistering top-shelf slapshot past Cardinals’ relief goalie Tyson Geerdes at the 1:48 mark of the second.

Becker converted Espenson’s assist into a 4-on-4 goal during the third period, while Noah Kloss capped the Eagles’ scoring barrage with a goal off an assist from Tyler Porath.

Havnen, Karp and Tanner DeWar each generated two of the Cardinals’ nine third-period shots-on-goal, but to no avail.

Geerdes finished with 11 saves in relief of Kuhl, who tallied nine stops in 27 1/2 minutes of action between the pipes.

Fairmont Area (0-2) plays host to Winona at noon Saturday at Martin County Arena in Fairmont.

Windom Area (1-3) travels to Benson on Saturday to face Morris/Benson Area in a 3 p.m. game.

Windom     2-4-2–8

Fairmont    0-1-0–1

Scoring Plays

1st Period

WDM–Jesse Pigman (Ethan Becker), 8:37.

WDM–Alex Woizeschke (Kyle Espenson), 5:18.

2nd Period

WDM–Mikel Anderson (Ethan Becker), 14:37.

WDM–Mikel Anderson (unassisted), 10:02.

FA–Tyler Head (Bryan Karp), 8:28.

WDM–David Volk (unassisted), sh., 6:29.

WDM–Jacob Cory (Ethan Becker), 1:48.

3rd Period

WDM–Ethan Becker (Kyle Espenson), 8:57.

WDM–Noah Kloss (Tyler Porath), 6:30.

Shots on goal: Fairmont Area 8-13-9–30; Windom Area 6-13-9–28.

Saves: Peter Ignaszewski (W) 8-12-9–29; Colby Kuhl (FA) 4-5-x–9, Tyson Geerdes (FA) x-4-7–11.

Penalties: Fairmont Area 2 for 4 minutes; Windom Area 9 for 18 minutes.

Power-play chances: Fairmont Area 0-for-6; Windom Area 0-for-0.

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