St. Paul Highland Park made history with a 7-4 win over Southwest Christian/Richfield, marking their first playoff victory in eight seasons. A strong offensive performance, including a three-goal third period, propelled the Scots past SWCR in a game that saw both teams capitalize on special teams opportunities.
Highland Park set the tone early with two first-period goals, as Ian Wallace and Tommy Rust each found the back of the net. Despite being outshot 11-10 in the opening frame, they took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
The Scots extended their lead to 3-0 early in the second period when Isaac Johnson added his first of the night. However, Southwest Christian/Richfield responded with two quick goals—Bennett Breuer on the power play and Tate Hardacre shorthanded—to cut the deficit to 3-2. Highland Park answered late in the period with a power-play goal from Charlie Rust to restore a two-goal cushion heading into the final frame.
The third period was a back-and-forth battle. Max Karvonen’s goal extended Highland Park’s lead to 5-2, but Southwest Christian/Richfield kept themselves in the game with power-play goals from Breuer and Ashton Hendel, making it a 5-4 contest. Just 14 seconds after Southwest Christian/Richfield pulled within one, Charlie Rust struck again for Highland Park, shifting the momentum back in their favor. Isaac Johnson sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
