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St. Paul Johnson bangs in three second-period goals to put away Kittson Central

By Loren Nelson, SportsEngine, 01/11/20, 11:00AM CST

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The Governors got a pair of goals and an assist from Damian Cunningham to help defeat a Bearcats team that features one of the state's top goal scorers in Calvin Hanson.

Kittson Central's Tyler Bakken, left, collides with St. Paul Johnson's Drake Teal on Saturday. Photo by Loren Nelson, LegacyHockeyPhotography.com

Kittson Central's Tyler Bakken, left, collides with St. Paul Johnson's Drake Teal on Saturday. Photo by Loren Nelson, LegacyHockeyPhotography.com

Teammates converge on St. Paul Johnson co-captain Drake Teal after Teal scored a first-period goal in the Governors' 5-3 victory over Kittson Central on Saturday. Photo by Loren Nelson, LegacyHockeyPhotography.com

Teammates converge on St. Paul Johnson co-captain Drake Teal after Teal scored a first-period goal in the Governors' 5-3 victory over Kittson Central on Saturday. Photo by Loren Nelson, LegacyHockeyPhotography.com

Senior Drake Teal, a 6-foot-4 football standout who hopes to play football at Wisconsin, is one of several big boppers on a musclebound St. Paul Johnson team that embraces physical play.

“We’re always going to knock you on your butt if we have the chance,” Teal said after throwing his 215-pound frame into several Kittson Central players and scoring a goal Saturday afternoon in a 5-3 Governors' (11-4-0) victory at Gustafson-Phalen Arena in St. Paul.

Bearcats coach Robert Carr described Johnson’s punishing style combined with its overall skill level as “Big Boy Hockey.” 

“This is what we want play,” Carr said about the game’s fast and physical nature, “because this is where we are heading.”


Kittson Central junior forward Calvin Hanson had a pair of assists on Saturday as the Bearcats lost 5-3 to St. Paul Johnson. Photo by Loren Nelson, LegacyHockeyPhotography.com

First Report

Damian Cunningham scored twice and Damien VanDanacker made 32 saves as St. Paul Johnson overpowered Kittson Central 5-3 on Saturday afternoon at Gustafson-Phalen Arena in St. Paul.

Cunningham, a junior forward, scored his second goal less than two minutes into the second period, sparking a flurry of three consecutive goals for the Governors (11-4-0), who led 5-2 before Kittson Central freshman Tyler Hennen scored with 54 seconds left in the second to make it 5-3 heading into the third.

A.J. McMahon and Blayde Pogreba also scored in the second period and Drake Teal added a first-period goal for Johnson.

Landon Sugden scored both first-period goals for Kittson Central (10-3-0, 4-0-0), which lost the services of star forward Calvin Hanson for part for the second period after he fell and slid hard into the end boards early in the middle period. Hanson, who ranks second in the state with 25 goals and third with 43 points, had two assists and numerous prime scoring chances in the opening period but his opportunities were limited in the second and third.

Kittson Central goaltender Wyatt Olsonawski finished with 29 saves. VanDanacker made 15 of his saves in the third period.

Kittson Central freshman Tyler Hennen beats St. Paul Johnson goaltender Damian VanDanacker for a goal in the final minute of the second period on Saturday. Photo by Loren Nelson, LegacyHockeyPhotography.com

Kittson Central freshman Tyler Hennen beats St. Paul Johnson goaltender Damian VanDanacker for a goal in the final minute of the second period on Saturday. Photo by Loren Nelson, LegacyHockeyPhotography.com

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