Hudson Boys Hockey Team Earns Tough 4-2 Victory Against Rival River Falls

Two late goals by the Raiders boys hockey team blew open a tight game and gave Hudson a 4-2 home win over River Falls on Tuesday, Dec. 14. The victory brings Hudson's record to 1-3, and 1-2 against Big Rivers Conference opponents.

Junior forward Lawrence Pruitt scored 6:10 into the third period to break a 2-2 tie. Then Dylan Haskins, another junior forward, took his own rebound and lofted it over the shoulder of the River Falls goalie with 25 seconds remaining, to put the game away.

A total of 17 penalties set the stage for much of the offense, as two of Hudson's goals came on the power play.

"Both goalies played fantastic," said Raiders Coach Mike Stoskopf. "We killed off a 5-3 power play that took up almost two minutes, and that was huge."

Junior Matt Strachota saved 24 shots for Hudson, several of them by kicking out the puck with his pad as it flew toward the far pole.

River Falls scored first 6:12 into the game, and Hudson answered when sophomore defenseman Daniel Tripicchio made a move from alongside the goal and found net. Pruitt gave Hudson a 2-1 lead at 13:49 of the second period and the Wildcats tied it with 28 seconds remaining in the period.

Brooks Lockwood, one of Stoskopf's former players from back in state title days, now coaches the River Falls team.

"It was different coming back here, that's for sure," Lockwood said, despite the loss. "I got into coaching to help players become men and better people, so its OK."

Sue Stoskopf, the coach's wife and longtime Raider fan, said that because of Lockwood, his team had an inkling of what Hudson might try to do.

"We played hard, but we've had some injuries," Stoskopf said. "River Falls is a good team and they've got a great goalie, so we were fortunate to come out with a win."