White Bear Lake goalie Bob Parenteau keeps his eyes locked on the puck in a 2-1 loss for the Bears. Photo by Rick Orndorf

Cretin-Derham Hall did not have the start it wanted against Suburban East Conference rival White Bear Lake, the No. 9-ranked team in the state Class 2A coach’s poll.

Slow starts have been something of the norm of late for the Raiders, who have won eight straight despite their early game struggles.

Much of the Raiders' recent success can be attributed to Nick Reis. He scored 25 goals to led the Raiders last season. Through 15 games this season he has eight goals, and a big one came on Saturday in Cretin-Derham Hall’s 2-1 win against White Bear Lake on Saturday at the Vadnais Sports Center.

The Raiders (8-4-3) trailed White Bear Lake 1-0 after two periods and the Bears (11-3-0) seemed to be on the verge of taking over after Tom Giller scored with only 58 seconds left in the second to give them the lead.

That momentum did not carry over as Giller charging penalty that carried over into the third.

Reis made Giller and the Bears pay, firing a wrist shot that got through some traffic and through Bears’ goalie Bob Parenteau to tie the score 1-1.

“That goal definitely got us going,” Raiders’ coach Jim O’Neil said. “We didn’t have too much in the first two periods, but we were moving well after Nick’s goal.”

Reis’s scoring touch has been something the Raiders have come to expect and more so in moments of need.

Desperately in search of a spark, Reis delivered and Cretin-Derham Hall owned the third period in which it outshot White Bear Lake 13-6 and 25-21 for the game.

“We aren’t really that surprised anymore when he scores,” Raiders’ junior forward Ryan Smith said. “It’s usually a big goal or something, and tonight wasn’t any different.”

The Raiders took control after Reis’s goal and for nearly all of the remaining 16 minutes of the third period.

“Just to get the first one on the board was huge,” Reis said. “You get it all square and you just noticed how much of a difference it was for our team.”

Five minutes later Smith took a pass from Joe Dekker and tapped in a shot to give Cretin-Derham Hall the lead for good.

Smith was crashing the net and, with plenty of traffic near the right post occupying Parenteau’s attention, the puck found Smith and he had an easy goal.

“We often hear of guys begging for the puck when they are in front of the net,” O’Neil said. “It may have been a lucky bounce, but if you don’t put yourself there, you are not going to score, so don’t ever be surprised to get the puck when you are in front.”

“It just found me when I was in front.” Smith said. “It was one of those times where you really get something good from being there.”

Through eight conference games, White Bear Lake leads Cretin-Derham Hall by just one point. The two will play again on Feb. 12 in what could determine the Suburban East crown.

“This was a big one for us and keeps us in the race,” Reis said. “We’re chasing them and to come out like this and end the game the way we did says a lot.”

First Report

Junior forward Ryan Smith scored the game-winning goal with 10:42 left in the third period to give Cretin-Derham Hall a 2-1 upset win against No. 9 White Bear Lake on Saturday at the Vadnais Sports Center.

The Raiders (8-4-3) were down 1-0 after Tom Giller gave the Bears (11-3-0) a 1-0 lead with 58 seconds left in the second period.

Nick Reis opened the scoring for Cretin-Derham Hall with a power-play goal 1 minute, 15 seconds into the third, and it was all Raiders after that in the Suburban East Conference matchup.

Cretin-Derham Hall outshot the Bears 25-21, including 13-6 in the third period alone.

The Raiders and Bears each will play Forest Lake next. White Bear Lake will host the Rangers on Jan. 13, while Cretin-Derham Hall does the same on Jan. 15.

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