Nick Austin (4) comes up with 2 big goals late in the game to propel BSM to an overtime victory over Maple Grove. Photo by Cheryl Myers

A patchy, blonde beard resides on the face of Benilde-St. Margaret’s defenseman Peter Heimbold.

He’s been growing it since the beginning of November, refusing to shave until his Red Knights lose a game. Thanks to senior defenseman Nick Austin, Heimbold won’t have to break out the Barbasol and razor just yet.

Austin scored twice to propel undefeated Benilde-St. Margaret's past Maple Grove 4-3 in overtime on Wednesday in the Sports Authority Holiday Hockey Classic at the St. Louis Park Rec Center.

Austin tied the game with seven seconds remaining in regulation, then found the puck on his stick in overtime and fired it past Crimson goalie Brady Goodman to keep the Red Knights' loss column empty. 

“I didn’t think it went in,” Austin said. “But it must have just squeaked through. I was just relieved.”

Relieved to get a victory and relieved to get to see that patchy beard every day. Heimbold almost shaved it before Christmas, but his teammates wouldn’t let him anywhere near a razor.

“He tried to weasel past and say we weren’t playing well so he would shave it,” Austin said. “We didn’t let him.”

Maple Grove (5-9-0) rode the coattails of Goodman, who finished with 50 saves Wednesday night. The senior not only kept his team in the game with his play in the crease but also recorded an assist on the third goal of the game, making a pass down the ice to Trevor Janicke, who converted to give the Crimson a 3-1 lead.

Talking about the undefeated record isn’t taboo in the Red Knights’ locker room. It’s discussed — mostly because of Heimbold’s beard.

While Benilde-St. Margaret's (12-0-1), ranked No. 1 in the Class 2A coaches’ poll, almost gave one up before barely getting by in overtime Wednesday night, Red Knights coach Ken Pauly found positives from a sloppy week of hockey.

“You find out a lot about your team in close games,” Pauly said. “If we’d have won 7-2, I say, ‘Ok, great. They’re flying, they’re clicking.’ But if we’re down and playing crappy and come back, those are character things you try to build on.”

Benilde-St. Margaret's forward Auggie Moore knows every game will be tough with that top ranking. Teams want to beat the state's No. 1-ranked team, and it’s the Red Knights’ job to set the tone early in every game, Moore said.

“We know we’re going to get every team’s best effort every night,” he added.

Hidden under the bleachers of the St. Louis Park Rec Center is the Benilde-St. Maragaret’s locker room, which is a long, claustrophobic hallway no wider than the length of a couple hockey sticks.

Red Knights goalie coach Tom Klein affectionately dubbed it the U.S.S. Alabama after the nuclear submarine made famous by the 1995 film “Crimson Tide.” A photo of that submarine sits on the wall of the entryway, a constant reminder that beyond the cement that separates the ominous corridor and the sheet of ice, battle awaits Benilde-St. Margaret's.

“When the guys walk up the ramp, that’s one of the last images they see,” Klein said.

The lights aren’t bright. The ceilings lay low. The hallway-turned-locker room does resemble the feeling of the active service nuclear submarine that still cruises beneath the surface of the world’s oceans, waiting patiently to attack if needed.

Klein and the coaching staff have U.S.S. Alabama hats. He even has a special skate-sharpening jacket with the submarine’s logo as Klein is a bit of a history nerd. He teaches Advanced Placement World History at Hopkins High School and knows a thing or two about battle submarines.

“Attack submarines with nuclear missiles on board are the most lethal weapon in the arsenal because you have no idea where it’s coming from,” Klein said. “We want to be a lethal hockey team. We want to be quick. We want to be fast. We want that attacking mentality.”

The militaristic theme is a bit ironic considering the Red Knights struggled with discipline Wednesday night, taking three penalties — including a five-minute major — in the first two periods and giving up goals during each.

Benilde-St. Margaret's survived the game despite those mistakes, but Pauly doesn’t want to see mental lapses drown his team in the postseason.

"I told our kids, if we’re done committing suicide — which we did the first two periods — we’d be fine,” Pauly said. “With the bad changes and bad penalties — there were a lot of self-inflicted wounds there. That’s what will send you home in February.”


Nick Austin (2) scores the tying goal, with just seconds remaining in regulation. Photo by Cheryl Myers.

First Report

Benilde-St. Margaret’s defenseman Nick Austin scored twice to help the undefeated Red Knights rally to defeat Maple Grove 4-3 in overtime Wednesday night in the Sports Authority Holiday Hockey Classic at the St. Louis Park Rec Center.

Austin scored the game-tying goal with seven seconds left in regulation, then finished the game at 3:42 of overtime as the Red Knights (12-0-1) survived a scare from the Crimson (5-9-0).

Benilde-St. Margaret's, ranked No. 1 in the Class 2A coaches’ poll, needed two goals in the final period to force overtime.

Maple Grove goalie Brady Goodman made 50 saves, but couldn’t stop the final shot, which slipped under his blocker and into the net.

Goodman also helped the Crimson kill off all three of his team’s penalties and notched an assist in the second period, firing the puck down the length of the ice to freshman Trevor Janicke, who dangled around Red Knights goalie Ryan Bischel to score.

Maple Grove junior forward Justin Kelley scored two goals while Auggie Moore and a goal and an assist for Benilde-St. Margaret's. Jacob Holmers also had a goal for the Red Knights.

The Crimson lost their other two tournament games. Benilde-St. Margaret's, meanwhile, finished the round-robin event with win over No. 11-2A Elk River and a tie with No. 8-2A Lakeville North.

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