St. Thomas Academy outlasts Sabers in tight 2-1 win

by Rob Brent

The No. 3 seed St. Thomas Cadets defeated the no. 6 seed Shakopee Sabers Thursday afternoon in a defensive affair that ended 2-1. Jackson Rudh and Luca Pedri scored for the Cadets.

The Cadets and Sabers presented an intriguing matchup because it’s a meeting of two Mr. Hockey nominees. Jackson Rudh led St. Thomas in goals (29) and points (58) on his way to a nomination, while Shakopee’s Cooper Simpson starred for the Sabers. A North Dakota commit, Simpson led the Sabers with 47 goals and 77 points. Whichever star was more impactful would go a long way in deciding the winner in this matchup.

St. Thomas Academy got on the board first on a play where they crashed the net hard after an initial shot. Mr. Hockey nominee Jackson Rudh banged the puck into the net for his 30th goal of the season.

Shakopee answered later in the period on a goal somewhat similar to St. Thomas’ earlier tally. Cooper Simpson swung the puck in front of the net, and a scramble ensued. The Sabers’ Nate Pederson was the first player to get to the puck, and he managed to deposit it into the net. Shakopee’s goal was the final of the period as the two teams went into the first intermission tied at one goal a piece.

With both teams scoring in the first, the two clubs tightened up significantly in the second period. There was no scoring, and only a small number of shots were allowed on net. Shakopee had four shots on goal in the second period for a total of eight through two periods, while St. Thomas registered only three shots on goal in the second frame for a total of 10. The Sabers and Cadets went into the second intermission with one goal each, both having the chance to seize their moment.

St. Thomas broke the tie early in the third period on the powerplay when Luca Pedri scored his eighth goal of the season. The goal was tipped into the corner of the net on a deflection. With the defense for both teams being so tight, it felt like a deflection or some kind of gritty goal would be needed. The Cadets put major pressure on the Sabers with the lead-taking goal and only 10 minutes remaining. 

With three minutes left in the game, Jackson Rudh nearly scored his second goal but was denied by the Sabers goaltender. Shakopee’s Cooper Simpson answered with a high-end chance of his own that was also denied. 

Shakopee attempted to tie the game with an empty net, but couldn’t find an equalizer. Cadets’ goaltender Cody Niesen made 13 saves on 14 shots in the winning effort.

Shakopee vs St. Thomas Academy was one of the most competitive of the tournament thus far and, with the victory, the Cadets showed they could be a serious contender in this field. St. Thomas Academy will take on Stillwater Friday at 6:00 PM to see who will go to the championship game. The Ponies punched their ticket to the semifinals earlier in the day after defeating Andover.

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