Brock Schultz's four-point game leads No. 4 East Grand Forks to 6-3 win over No. 1 Warroad
Feb. 6—EAST GRAND FORKS — East Grand Forks center Brock Schultz's name was all over the scoresheet after Tuesday's 6-3 win over No. 1 Warroad at the Civic Center.
Schultz scored twice on the power play for the No. 4 Green Wave and had two assists after creating goals for teammates Jace Fore and Tucker Lovejoy in the third period.
But coach Tyler Palmiscno was most impressed with Schultz's play away from the puck.
"He was really good in the faceoff dot," Palmiscno said. "He stayed underneath pucks all night. He was good defensively. He played the game the way a good, hard, 200-foot hockey player should play, and it was a big reason why we had success."
Schultz has won 62% of his draws this season.
His success in faceoffs helped the Green Wave on special teams. Schultz scored on two of East Grand Forks' four power plays. The Green Wave's penalty kill was also working Tuesday, stopping all three of Warroad's chances.
"The PK did a really good job against their very talented power play," Palmiscno said. "We bent a little bit, but we never really broke. (Ryan Rockstad) made some saves. Your best penalty killer has got to be your goalie, and Rocko was solid when we needed him."
The Green Wave held UND commit Carson Pilgrim, Warroad's top line center, to zero points.
Green Wave defenseman Grady Magner had three assists in the win, and goalie Ryan Rockstad finished with 21 saves. East Grand Forks outshot Warroad 28-24 in the game.
Warroad goalie Ben Norris ended with 22 saves.
The game was tied at 2 through two periods before Jace Van Eps scored his seventh goal of the season four and a half minutes into the third period. Just 18 seconds later, Warroad's Kyler Lien found the net to tie it up again at 3.
The Green Wave responded with their next three goals from Fore, Lovejoy and an empty-netter from defenseman Judd Pesch, his second of the year.
East Grand Forks is now 15-7-1 on the season with two regular season games remaining at Thief River Falls and Roseau.
"We just have to keep getting better," Palmiscno said. "We can't let that be our best game we play all year. We have to continue to grow."
