Tim Knutson

The South Dakota State University Jacks Hockey Club took two easily at home last weekend. The men’s hockey club took on Dordt College on Friday and Saturday nights, and beat their rival easily in both meetings.

On Friday night, the Jacks won, 8-3. The feel for both nights was dislike, and it started early. Both teams lost a player due to fighting in the first period. The fight also meant those players would be unable to play on Saturday night.

The Jacks were in control of this game from the beginning, ending the first period with a 3-0 lead. The Jacks out-shot Dordt 29-6 in the first period alone and 48-23 on the game. The Jacks gave up two goals in the second period, but managed to get four of their own. The Jacks lead 7-2 going to the final period. Both Dordt and the Jacks managed to get one goal apiece in the final period, leaving the game with its 8-3 final.

Saturday night started just like Friday, with the Jacks jumping on Dordt in the first period. The Jacks put up four unanswered goals in the first period. In fact, the Jacks put up more goals than Dordt had shots on goal.

The second period was all SDSU as well. The Jacks added to their lead with four more goals, giving SDSU an 8-0 lead going into the final period. In the second period, SDSU and Dordt each lost two players due to a fight. SDSU lost junior Jake Gustafson, a wing from Wahpeton, N.D., and sophomore, wing Roy Sando from Huron.

The incident posed a problem for both teams. They lost the guys for the rest of the game, but they also had to have other players serve their time in the penalty box. This left both teams a little short-handed. While the penalties were being served, Dordt was left with one player and one goalie on their bench.

Gustafson said, “We expected to win, but the DQs are going to hurt us.” The third period got started with a goal from freshman forward Brian Hermanson. The Jacks gave up one goal in the third, and came out on the top with a 9-1 victory.

Coach Marty Schipull said, “Dordt is having a down year, so we expected to win. There was quite a bit of fighting, and you’re going to see that between these two teams, especially when the score gets so out of hand.”

Schipull went on to say that he was pleased with his defense. They were missing a lot of guys due to fighting and injury, so they had some guys step up from the defensive side of the puck and play some offense.

Sando said, “We came out skating hard, and we really had some guys step up.”

The Jacks head south this weekend to take on Creighton. Gustafson said, “We hope to get a couple of wins.”

If the Jacks can get a win this weekend, they will lock up the top seed for the league championship, which will take place in Brookings on Feb. 25-26.

Coach Schipull wanted to thank all the fans that have been supporting the hockey team, and hopes to see the support for the guys during the championship games. The tournament will be played in two days with games at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday, and 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday. The top team will play the fourth seed, and then 2 vs. 3. The winners will move on and play in the championship game on Saturday night.

Sando said, “Creighton is a big game for us. They’re really the only team in the league that can play with us this year, and this weekend’s games will give us a great chance to get a look at them before the tournament.”

Schipull is confident going into the weekend’s games, but knows his guys will need to step up to overcome personal losses, and make sure that they have the top seed going into the Great Plains Hockey Association’s final weekend. “We would really like to win it at home in front of our fans,” Gustafson said.

#1.884704:3912139490.jpg:hockeyfight_tc.jpg:Jake Gustafson of the Jacks gets into a fight in Saturday night’s SDSU victory over Dordt College.:Ty Carlson