Hockey | 1/23/2026 11:00:00 PM
Crookston, Minn. - The Golden Eagles are home for the final time this season as they host South Dakota State University. The Golden Eagles started the weekend with Tyler Swanson (So., G, Moorhead, Minn.) with an 8-2-0 record. For the Jackrabbits, it was Trent Nelson. The Golden Eagles won the game by a final score of 6-5 in overtime.
The first period was a little slow to start, but picked up the pace six minutes in when Dawson Wirth put the Jackrabbits on the board first on the powerplay. The Jackrabbits held that lead for nine minutes before Anthony Foster (Jr., F, Warroad, Minn.) wired home a slot shot that went bar down. Mason Romfo (So., F, Langdon, N.D.) and Fox Dodds (5th, F, Watford City, N.D.) assisted on the goal. 1-1 would be the score for the remainder of the period, with the shots 13-12 in favor of the Golden Eagles.
The second period scoring started off with a goal from the newly engaged Alexander Bailey (5th, F/D, Crosby, N.D.) scoring just 4:38 into the period. Kadin Edwards (Fr., F, Crookston, Minn.) and Steven Musokranov (Jr., D, Plymouth, N.D.) had the assists. Five minutes later, Zach Struck tied the game back up at two. That only lasted about 40 seconds before Fox Dodds fired home a goal of his own with Mason Romfo picking up his second assist. A minute and a half later, Tyler Lorenz (So., D, Shakopee, Minn.) put the puck on the net, it bounced around for a few seconds before Aiden Morelli (Sr., F, Minot, N.D.) got his stick on it and then it was Ben Hines (Jr., F, Detroit Lakes, Minn.) who managed to knock the puck into the net on the powerplay. Morelli, in his first game back, and Lorenz were credited with the assists. The Golden Eagles had the first and only two goal lead of the night. But they only held that for five minutes before Owen Schneider took advantage of a tough turnover for the Golden Eagles to make it a 4-3 game. That was the score as we went to the third period.
The Jackrabbits started the third period on the powerplay, and they knotted the game back up just 12 seconds in thanks to Struck's second goal of the night. Seven minutes later, Dawson Wirth had his second goal and the Jackrabbits' third powerplay goal. The Golden Eagles faced a deficit with just 12:35 remaining now, and found themselves in a spot they had been in just a week ago in a loss. But, hockey has a funny way of giving back. The goal that had us tied at four was accidentally knocked into the net by Logan Syrup (5th, F, Park River, N.D.) but he did not let that get to him. With just 43 seconds left, off of a crazy bounce from behind the net, Syrup batted the puck out of the air, bouncing it off of the foot of a Jackrabbit defenseman and into the back of the net. Syrup earned that goal back, and kept the Golden Eagles alive. Ben Hines and Mason Romfo earned the assists. The Golden Eagles and Jackrabbits were heading for overtime.
It did not take long at all for the game to end once we hit overtime. The Jackrabbits got it into the Golden Eagles' zone and were immediately smothered, Anthony Foster stripped a Jackrabbits forward of the puck, took it down the ice, and ripped the puck into the top right corner of the net. The Golden Eagles took home the win just 27 seconds into overtime, with a final score of 6-5. The Golden Eagles had 10 penalties called against them tonight, but came away with a win regardless.
The Golden Eagles and Jackrabbits are back at it tomorrow at 1 p.m.
