The Rams traveled to St. Michael-Albertville on Saturday for a Section 8AA semi-final in front of a cozy jam packed STMA Ice Arena. The Rams received a big night from senior captain Bryden Stoskopf with a hat trick including the game winner late in the third period.

The opening period the Knights put the Rams on their heel’s early scoring at the 1:06 mark when Zach Sjelin beat the Rams starting sophomore goaltender Oliver Lee giving the Knights a quick 1-0 lead. STMA answered quickly with another goal just 37 seconds later with Jordan Drobinski giving the Knights a 2-0 lead. The goal would prompt an early exit for Rams netminder Lee as senior Willie Woolever entered in a relief role. Roseau’s Nathan Adrian would cut the lead to 2-1 at 3:17 when he tipped a Bryce Johnson shot past Knights goaltender Kyle Hayden with the second assist going to Alex Verbout. Roseau responded again quickly knotting the game at 2-2 when Bryden Stoskopf tallied his first of the night with helpers going to Verbout and Alec Severson. That goal closed out the scoring for the period with the Knights outshooting the Rams 5-4.

The second period started quickly again as Stoskopf gave the Rams their first lead of the game notching his second of the game with Nick Geroy and Verbout credited with the assists with Roseau leading 3-2. The lead would not stand up for long as STMA tied the game at 3-3 at 2:20 on an even strength goal from Jake Benson. Roseau regained the lead at 4-3 at 8:53 of the period on a nice backhand goal by senior Brandon Lund with assists going to Aaron Huglen and Trevor McMillan. The Knights would once again respond with a goal of their own at 12:19 with a shot from the point by defensemen Jack Kelly beating Woolever and closing the scoring for the second period with teams all square at 4-4. The Knights once again held a slight edge in shots for the period at 14-9.

The Knights got on the board at 3:52 of the third period with Blake Spetz giving STMA a 5-4 lead. That lead would hold until 10:43 of the period when Adrian scored his second of the night knotting things back up at 5-5. Bryce Johnson and Stoskopf picked up assists on the goal. The Rams would get what would be the eventual game winner when Stoskopf closed out his second consecutive hat trick at 12:05 of the third period with Adrian and Jonah Huglen picking up assists. The Rams held off a late charge from the Knights with their goaltender pulled for an extra attacker but the Rams were able to hold on for a 6-5 win over the #2 seed Knights.

For the game it was Willie Woolever closing out the game with 25 saves on 28 shots while the Knights Kyle Hayden finished up with 17 saves on 23 Roseau shots.

Roseau now advances to the Section 8AA final and will face a familiar foe in the #1 seed Moorhead Spuds who were 5-0 winners over Brainerd in the other semi-final. That game will be played on Wednesday, March 1 at 7:00 pm at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls.