Hastings Defeats South St. Paul 7-1 with Strong Second Period

Hastings secured a commanding 7-1 victory over South St. Paul, fueled by an explosive second period and a balanced team effort. Jon Harris led the Raiders with a standout four-point performance, including a hat trick.

Game Summary:

First Period: South St. Paul Opens the Scoring
South St. Paul struck first at 7:51 when Jack Erb found the back of the net with help from Ryan Cudo and Roddick Simons. Hastings struggled to capitalize on their chances despite outshooting South St. Paul 10-7.

Second Period: Hastings Takes Over
Hastings turned the tide in the second period, scoring four unanswered goals. Jon Harris opened the scoring just 14 seconds in with a power-play goal. Shortly after, Aden Cavness and Jonas Schauer added even-strength goals to extend the lead to 3-1. Harris struck again, this time shorthanded, at 5:09 to complete the dominant frame. South St. Paul managed just six shots in the period as Hastings pulled away.

Third Period: Hastings Closes it Out
The Raiders added three more goals in the final period. Brody Carlson converted a power play at 1:49, Harris completed his hat trick at 10:43, and Brecken Fullerton capped the scoring with an even-strength goal at 15:18. Hastings’ defense limited South St. Paul to just nine shots in the period, securing the win.

Key Statistics:

• Shots on Goal: Hastings outshot South St. Paul 33-22, showing offensive consistency across all three periods.
• Special Teams: Hastings went a perfect 2-for-2 on the power play and added a shorthanded goal, while South St. Paul went 0-for-3.
• Penalties: Both teams committed four infractions, with Hastings accumulating 10 penalty minutes to South St. Paul’s 8.

Player Highlights:

• Hastings:
  • Jon Harris: 3 goals, 1 assist (4 points)
  • Brayden Krauth: 2 assists
  • Aden Cavness: 1 goal, 6 penalty minutes
• South St. Paul:
  • Jack Erb: Lone goal scorer
  • Ryan Cudo: Assisted on the opening goal

Goaltending Performance:

• Hastings: Nicholas Smelser stopped 21 of 22 shots, finishing with a .955 save percentage in a strong outing.
• South St. Paul: Josiah Frost faced 33 shots and made 26 saves for a .788 save percentage.