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Game two of the three game set between the Eden Prairie Eagles and Benide-St. Margaret's Red Knights went to the Eagles by a score of 6-5 in overtime last night.  Michael Graham scored 2:14 into the extra session to top the Red Knights and cap off  the entertaining see-saw affair that played out at the Eden Prairie Community Center.

Zack Hale opened the scoring for the Red Knights  at 1:01 of the first period.  Things settled down for a period and then the flood gates of goal scoring opened with four goals scored in a 4:36 span of the first period. That would be a trend that would repeat itself throughout the game.  Moments of goal scoring bursts by both teams followed by periods of no markers.  

"EP and BSM play a very similar style of hockey," Red Knight coach Ken Pauly said.  "Both teams like to get after it and transition. It was a track meet so the high score wasn't that much of a surprise. When these two teams meet there are always fireworks. Last night was no different."

After Graham tied the game at one with a goal at 9:03, the Eagles were benefactors of a major power play and notched two goals to take the 3-1 lead.  Right off the ensuing face off of the Eagle third goal, Mark Kaske scored a short-handed tally to pull the game within one at 3-2. 

The Red Knights regained the lead at 4-3 in the second period on a pair of Carter Roo goals scored 2:58 apart.  The Eagles Steven Spinner tied the game at four with 1:14 left in the third setting up an entertaining third period. 

"I'd give high marks to the line of Naas, Jungels, and Roo," Pauly said of his top performers on the night.  "They looked like a high end high school first line last night and that's positive." He went on to add, "Mark Kaske continues to get great looks no matter what line or situation he is in. We are very pleased with the energy he brings to each game."

Spencer Naas, who had his typical productive night with (1g-2a-3pts), gave the Red Knights the 5-4 lead at 8:54 of the third period.  Spinner scored his second of the game just 1:06 later to even it up at five goals apiece.  There were four lead changes and three ties in the back-and-forth affair. 

Pauly stated, "I loved how the team responded. The five minute major in the first period could have been a disaster and our guys battled right back. The downside is that we twice could not hold leads and that was disappointing."

The Eagles outshot the Red Knights 14-6 in the third period and 52-33 in the the high flying game.  Red Knight goalie Jalen Long saw 19 of those 52 shots in the first period alone and made 46 saves on the evening. 

With a difficult schedule down the stretch, Pauly knew they might have some results they weren't looking for. "We knew in the final stretch leading up to sections that we most likely would get tagged with a couple of losses. If we keep moving forward, we'll be in a position to make a run at this thing regardless of our seeding," Pauly observed after the game.

Both teams meet again, for the third time, at the St. Louis Park Rec Center Saturday February 8th at 2:30pm.  The Red Knights will face Shattuck-St. Mary's this Saturday at 2pm.