The Lawrence University Hockey team swept Northland College with the help of Ryan Blick’s monster seven-point weekend, including a hat trick Friday night. The Vikings are now in first place in the MCHA.Friday night the Vikings got off on the right note immediately. The Vikings scored two quick power play goals, including Steve McDonald’s first collegiate goal, to go ahead 2-0. It took six more minutes before Blick put in the first of his three goals on the night.
Northland scored first in the second period, and then Blick answered with his second to put LU up 4-1.
A Northland power play goal brought the score to 4-2, but that was not for long. A minute later with Lawrence on the power play, Blick put in his third, and the Vikings went up 5-2. The Vikings scored two more goals in the third period to make the final 7-2.
Last week’s National Division III Player of the Week Danny Schroeder added three assists for the Vikings. LU goalie and co-MCHA Goalie of the Week Jim Pfeiffelmann stopped 21 Lumberjack shots for the win.
Saturday night Northland was looking for a split, but the Vikings wouldn’t have anything to do with that. The Vikings again came out early and took a quick lead. Schroeder and Blick struck again, each scoring a goal and assisting on the other to put the Vikings up 2-0 early in the first period.
Northland added one late in the period to make it 2-1, but again the Vikings answered first in the second period. Andy Gillies tallied one on the power play for the Vikings to put them ahead by two again at 3-1. Northland refused to give up, as a power play goal by Dustin Sieben made the game 3-2 after two.
The Vikings finished off the Lumberjacks early in the third. Only 13 seconds into the period Brad Barton put one in the net for LU, and four minutes later Aaron Graber added his first collegiate goal to make it 5-2. That would be the final as Daniel Ljung made 25 saves, 11 of them in the third, to get his second win of the season.
The Vikings had great weekends from Blick, who was named MCHA Player of the Week with his four goal, three assist weekend, and from Schroeder, who added a goal and five assists on the weekend for the Vikings.
This weekend LU opens its home season with a series against UM-Crookston. The Vikings are alone in first place in the MCHA with six points, three more then Northland and UM-Crookston. The Vikings will play tonight at 7:00 p.m. and tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. at the Appleton Family Ice Center.