St. Paul Highland Park 6, Cambridge-Isanti 5
Location: Doug Woog Arena, South St. Paul
Date: December 31, 2024
St. Paul Highland Park edged Cambridge-Isanti in a high-scoring thriller, clinching a 6-5 victory in a game filled with momentum swings and clutch performances.
First Period
The game started with St. Paul Highland Park’s Tommy Rust opening the scoring at 5:23 with an even-strength goal. Cambridge-Isanti responded late in the period with a short-handed tally by Josh Sauro, leveling the score 1-1 heading into the intermission.
Second Period
The second period saw St. Paul Highland Park take control early. Leo Kirsch scored a power-play goal, followed by Gavin Olsen’s even-strength goal, giving Highland Park a 3-1 lead. Cambridge-Isanti answered with Bennett Bergloff’s goal to cut the deficit to 3-2, setting up an exciting third period.
Third Period
The final frame was a scoring frenzy. St. Paul Highland Park’s Will Bitenc extended the lead to 4-2 just 1:20 into the period. Cambridge-Isanti roared back with goals from Bennett Bergloff and Wes Terhell, tying the game at 4-4.
Josh Sauro then put Cambridge-Isanti ahead with his second short-handed goal of the night, making it 5-4. However, St. Paul Highland Park refused to back down. Charlie Rust equalized at 10:04, and Leo Kirsch sealed the victory with his second goal of the game, a power-play strike at 12:12.
Key Performances
- St. Paul Highland Park:
- Leo Kirsch: 2 goals, 1 assist
- Tommy Rust: 1 goal, 2 assists
- Emory Batt: 31 saves on 36 shots
- Cambridge-Isanti:
- Josh Sauro: 2 goals, 1 assist
- Bennett Bergloff: 2 goals, 1 assist
- Owen Roddy: 14 saves on 20 shots
Special Teams
St. Paul Highland Park’s power play was pivotal, converting 2 of 6 opportunities. In contrast, Cambridge-Isanti went 0 for 6, despite generating significant offensive pressure.
Final Thoughts
This back-and-forth battle highlighted both teams’ offensive capabilities and determination. St. Paul Highland Park’s ability to capitalize on special teams and clutch scoring from key players proved to be the difference in this nail-biter.
