Benilde-St. Margaret's regroups after bad first period to rally past No. 8-ranked Prior Lake 4-3

Red Knights score four unanswered to improve record to 4-4-1, Risteau records hat trick

ST LOUIS PARK - Prior Lake's first period effort had Benilde-St. Margeret's in a dangerous spot. 

The Lakers connected on three of their four shots in the opening period, and when the Red Knights made a change at goal at the start of the second period, a message was sent. 

Whatever was said during the intermission, it did not take long for BSM to put words into action.

In short time, a very fast group of Red Knight forwards would collectivley quicken its step.

Over the next 17 minutes, it had Prior Lake back on its heels and deep in its zone, as BSM peppered Lakers' goalie Drew Scites with 10 shots in the second period, and another nine in the third. In all, BSM outshot Prior Lake 23-18 over the three periods.  

Benilde-St. Margeret junior forward Zach Risteau would notch a hat trick over the second and third periods to drive the Red Knights past No. 8-ranked Prior Lake Monday in the opening game of the Sports Authority Holiday Classic at the St. Louis Park Rec Center.

Risteau netted his third, and the hat with 3:30 left in the third, providing the game-winning goal as well.

In net, senior Jalen Long replaced sophomore Ryan Bischel after the first period, and Long pretty much shut down Prior Lake's scoring production the rest of the way.

Prior Lake connected once on one of four powerplays, and BSM was 0-for-2 with the man advantage. The Lakers' three goals came in a flurry early on, with Tyler Bump breaking through at the 3-minute mark. Curtis Hansen and Hayden Maxfield both followed with goals over the next five minutes, and PL was in excellent shape after the first.

That confidence wore down as the game progressed, and the Lakers played a bit sloppy and out of sync in the second, and especially the third.

Tuesday's games match Prior Lake against Holy Family (5-4-2) in the 4:30 p.m. game back in the Holiday Classic, while BSM has top-ranked Lakeville North (9-0) in the 7 p.m. game.

-Drew Herron / Dec. 30, 2014

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