First-year Callum Cusinato scored the first two goals of his collegiate career in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday night and goaltender Arthur Brey made 36 saves, but the St. Lawrence men’s hockey team fell to the No. 5 Badgers, 4-2.
Cusinato singlehandedly manufactured the Saints first goal at 1:43 of the opening frame, forcing a turnover on the forecheck and then beating former St. Lawrence netminder Kyle Hayton with a backhand high on the glove side to tie the game at 1-1.
Wisconsin’s Ryan Wagner gave the Badgers and early lead just 58 seconds into the game after lifting a shot from in tight over the right shoulder of Arthur Brey.
Near the midway point of the first period, Brey made a big left pad save on Wagner to keep things tied up. Brey made 15 of his 36 total saves in the first period.
Early in the second period, matching minors had the team’s skating four aside until another penalty to St. Lawrence’s Jake Stevens gave the Bagders a 4-on-3 advantage; opening up the ice at the Kohl Center.
Leading scorer Trent Frederic was credited with the power play goal that put Wisconsin in front 2-1 at 3:34 after a shot from Wyatt Kalynuk hit his leg in traffic and skipped under Brey.
Near the midway point of the middle frame, Cusinato buried his second with Ryan Garvey and Ryan Lough assisting to even the score yet again.
However, Wisconsin’s second power play tally of the night later in the frame off the stick of Seamus Malone gave the Badgers the lead for good.
Wisconsin extended the lead to the eventual 4-2 margin with a goal from Tarek Baker in the third period.
The Saints pulled Brey for the extra attacker with just over two minutes to play, but he was only on the bench for 11 seconds before St. Lawrence was assessed another penalty to take away the man-up opportunity.
Wisconsin finished 2-for-5 with the man advantage. St. Lawrence was 0-for-2. The Badgers also outshot the Saints 40-19 on Friday night.
With the loss the Saints’ slide stretches to seven games at 0-7-0, while the Badgers improve to 6-2-0.
St. Lawrence will return to the Kohl Center on Saturday night for the second and final game of the series with the Badgers. Puck drop is set for 7:07 p.m. CT, 8:07 EST.
