January 10, 2008 @ St. Thomas Arena 7:30

A big third period goal by Dan Cecka sent Hill-Murray on its way to a big win over St. Thomas Academy, which evened what is again shaping up to be a two-team battle for the Classic Suburban. More importantly, Hill-Murray outlasted a strong contender and won the first of two games against what is likely the best opponent on their second-half schedule.

Cecka had been the Pioneers' most reliable goal scorer during their playoff run last year, but had been under the radar for the first half of his senior season. He had scored 14 goals, but none in any game that had not ended on running time. That changed midway through the third period when he broke a 2-2 tie, picking the upper corner from the left circle after creating a 2-on-1 by carrying the puck through the neutral zone. Nick Widing added an insurance goal, chipping in a rebound of an Isaac Kohls shot off a faceoff with 4:40 to play, and Hill-Murray went on to a 4-2 win.

St. Thomas could have gone ahead early were it not for back-to-back penalty kills by Hill-Murray to start the game. Joe Phillippi saved numerous quality shots, including a brilliant save on Marc Haverkamp, who seemingly had a wide open net after the puck took a live bounce off the end boards, but Phillippi got his glove on the shot just as it was about to cross the goal line.

Not to be outdone at the other end, Cadets' netminder Kurt Altrichter slid across to stop a redirect by Jeff Westerhaus after a goal-mouth feed from Monte French. Somehow, neither team managed to score in a wide open first period.

The Cadets' vaunted power play needed just eight seconds on its third opportunity seven minutes into the second period. Christian Isackson's pass from the right wing corner set up Conor Rooney, who was wide open off the left post.

After Phillippi made a great pad save on a redirect from close range, Hill-Murray countered just 23 seconds after the St. Thomas goal. When a defenseman couldn't corral a clearing attempt, Tyler Zepeda gathered the puck and outraced everyone to the net for a breakaway goal.

Phillippi then stopped Isackson point blank after a feed from behind the net, and the melee that ensued resulted in seven penalties and another St. Thomas power play. But back-to-back Cadets penalties neutralized the advantage, and Andy Singerhouse cut across the crease with a backhand move that Altrichter barely deflected over the net.

Back at even strength, Hill-Murray went ahead in the last minute of the period, as Ryan Furne took Zepeda's drop pass and blasted it into the upper right corner from 40 feet.

St. Thomas started the third period on the power play, and, although Hill-Murray again had a successful kill, they were unable to generate any offensive flow. A neutral zone turnover gave James Saintey a clean shot from the left circle, and he fired it over Phillippi's glove for an unassisted goal five minutes into the period.

The Cadets appeared to be ready to take charge, but Cecka's play changed that. Hill-Murray's top line was plus-three for the game, despite going against the Cadets' formidable top line much of the time. The teams meet again at the Xcel Center in 30 days, where the Pioneers will try to sweep the season series for the first time in three years. St. Thomas Academy has avenged losses to Hill-Murray in each of the past two seasons.

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