The Buffalo Bison boys’ hockey team earned their first victory of the season against the Bloomington Kennedy Eagle on Tuesday night. The Bison scored two late goals for the victory.

Gunnar Goodmanson continued his hot start with another two goals and an assist (5-1-6 on the season). In the first period, Goodmanson opened the scoring by stealing the puck from a Kennedy defenseman and slipping the puck through goalie David Johnson’s legs. The Eagles’ Kyle Prady tied the game as a Bison penalty expired and the first period ended tied 1-1.

The second period saw the teams exchange goals. Kennedy took advantage of a Bison miscue and Michael Jost scored on a nifty deflection for a 2-1 lead.
With 3:32 left in the period and Buffalo a man short, Goodmanson again stole the puck from an Eagle d-man on the forecheck. Goodmanson beat the first checker with a spin-move, spun back against the second defender to clear a way to the net. Then he beat Johnson with a forehand-to-backhand move before roofing the puck to tie the game.

Coach Aaron Johnson called the Bison’s second period their best of the young season. “We were making plays and generating good scoring chances with all three of our lines,” explained Coach Johnson.

The third period saw both goalies stand strong. Coach Johnson praised senior goalie Mikey Otten, “he made some huge saves when we needed him.” His biggest save of the game came on a 2-on-1 break for the Eagles. The Kennedy attackers worked a cross-crease pass that Otten went post-to-post on to rob Kennedy’s best scoring chance and keep the game tied.

Then, junior winger Jerame Schuetzle scored the game winning goal with 1:53 left in the game. After a dominating shift by Kennedy, Goodmanson found a streaking Schuetzle. Schuetzle slipped the puck around or through two Eagle defensemen before beating the goalie on another forehand-backhand move.

The goal was Schuetzle’s first of the season and gave the Bison the lead for good. Coach Johnson was thrilled for Schuetzle, “Jerame didn’t have the start to the season he wanted but he worked hard for this goal and, obviously, it was huge for our team.”

Junior forward Jake Ramsey potted an empty-net goal for his first of the year to close out the game.

Next for the Bison is the Coon Rapids Cardinals, Saturday night at the Coon Rapids Ice Center.