Beau Becker
RED WING — Jerome Dietzman produced a game-best hat trick, including the pivotal go-ahead goal during Baldwin-Woodville’s four-goal third period, to power the Hawks to a 7-3 comeback victory over the Fairmont Area Cardinals during the opening round of the River Bend Holiday Classic hockey tournament on Wednesday in Red Wing.
Baldwin-Woodville (4-2) advances to face the winner between host Red Wing and Mora at 6 p.m. tonight in the Classic’s championship contest back at the Pine Island Arena.
Fairmont Area (0-6) plays the loser between Red Wing and Mora in a 3:30 p.m. third-place game today in Red Wing.
The Cardinals seized the early momentum during the holiday tournament opening game when Beau Becker delivered the first of his team-best two goals for a 1-0 advantage after one completed frame. Becker converted Connor Gronewald’s assist into a net-finding shot.
Dietzman then generated two of the Hawks’ three second-period goals to counter solo goals by the Cardinals’ Kaiden Musser and Beau Becker during the 17-minute frame.
Musser cashed in an assist from Lincoln Becker on his goal, while Beau Becker tallied an unassisted lamp-lighter to complete Fairmont Area’s point production during the middle segment.
Knotted at 3-all after two completed periods, Dietzman completed his three-goal performance by finding the twine with a shot at the 8:06 juncture to stake the Hawks to a 4-3 lead.
Ryan Boesneilers then produced an insurance goal for Baldwin-Woodville by cashing in Blake Lokken’s assist for a 5-3 advantage on the scoreboard with 2:10 remaining in regulation.
Fairmont Area opted to pull goaltender Carson Johnson down the stretch for a 6-on-5 skater edge on the ice, but Baldwin-Woodville’s Davis Paulsen took advantage by smacking home an empty-netter at the 1:11 juncture.
Braylan Carlson then scored his first goal of the season for the defending Middle Border Conference champion Hawks with only 1 second remaining in regulation.
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