Lake Forest College Sports Information
November 15, 2008
Contact: Mike Wajerski, SID

Lake Forest Opens Conference Play with a Pair of One-Goal Losses
Joel Gard and Brendan Devine score first career goals

Joel Gard
David Ridos
Brendan Devine
LAKE FOREST, Ill. - The Forester men's hockey team suffered a pair of one-goal losses at home over the weekend (November 14-15). The team was defeated 4-3 by 12th-ranked UW-Eau Claire Friday evening and 6-5 by sixth-ranked UW-Stevens Point the following night. Lake Forest is now 2-6-0 overall and 0-2-0 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play. Eau Claire left town 6-0-0 overall 1-0-0 in the NCHA and Stevens Point raised its overal record to 6-1-0 and league mark to 1-1-0.

Both teams scored once in the opening period Friday night. Eau Claire converted a power play opportunity at 4:54 and Forester freshman Joel Gard's (Orangeville, Ontario/Streetsville Derbys) first career goal was a shorthanded score with 1:08 remaining in the period.

Eau Claire regained the lead at 4:37 of the second stanza on the only goal of the period.

After the visitors scored their second power play goal of the game at 11:48 in the third period, Lake Forest pulled back to within one at 13:03 on junior Adam Love's (Durham, Ontario/Elmira Sugar Kings) third goal of the season. He was assisted by classmate Justin Taylor (Sun Valley, Idaho/Walpole Stars). The Blugolds scored their third power play goal of the contest at 14:53 to take a 4-2 advantage. Forester sophomore Zach Kozak (Mesa, Ariz./Northland College) then scored what turned out to be the final goal of the game at 17:22. Fellow sophomores Tyler Gross (Fond du Lac, Wis./Fond du Lac H.S.) and Matt Helderman (Huntington, Conn./The Gunnery) assisted on Kozak's team-high fourth goal of the year.

Lake Forest fell behind early again on Saturday. Stevens Point led 2-0 at the end of the first period after scoring at 12:21 and 18:46.

The home team responded with a pair of goals early in the second. Sophomore David Ridos (Hamilton, Ontario/Stoney Creek Warriors) scored the first at 2:29 and freshman Brendan Devine (Rockwood, Ontario/Kingston Voyageurs) lit the lamp for the first time in his collegiate career at 7:42. Senior Chris Wilson (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Cornwall Colts) assisted on the first goal and freshmen Ethan Goldberg (Green Oaks, Ill./Chicago Mission) and Kevin Conway (Medford, Mass./Canterbury School) recorded their first career points by assisting Devine. The Pointers, however, regained the lead on a power play goal with 3:11 remaining in the period.

Ridos made it his first career two-goal game when he tied the contest on an unassisted score at the 5:22 mark of the final period. Stevens Point then scored a power play goal at 9:55 and even-strength tallies at 16:42 and 17:02 to take a 6-3 lead. Senior Matt Oke (St. Lambert, Quebec/Nepean Raiders) gave the home team's fans a little hope with his first goal of the season at 19:09. He was assisted by junior Nick Ghidina (Pekin, Ill./Wichita Falls Wildcats). The Foresters pulled their goalie before the ensuing faceoff and cut the deficit to one with 17 seconds left on the clock on senior Peter Morrison's (Roseville, Minn./Roseville High School) second score of the year. Helderman and senior Mike Kneeland (Calgary, Alberta/Calgary Royals) were each credited with an assist. Time ran out of the comeback effort, however, and the home team fell by a goal for the second straight night.

The Foresters will begin Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play at home next weekend (November 14-15) when they host UW-Eau Claire Friday evening at 7:30 and UW-Stevens Point at the same time the following night.

Lake Forest - Eau Claire Box Score
Lake Forest - Stevens Point Box Score