Jim Bastian
NEW ULM – Austin Uecker became New Ulm High School’s career all-time points leader with two goals and six assists on Friday as the Eagles rolled to a 9-0 win over Windom in a Big South Connference game.
Uecker now has 182 career points, passing Braxten Hoffmann’s 181 points.
Ian Brudelie recorded a hat trick, while Brecken Neuman and Kaden Larson each added two goals.
Brudelie and Bryer Lang each had two helpers, with Neuman, Keaton Weston and Larson each adding an assist.
New Ulm goaltender Bryer Hoffmann stopped all six Windom shots as New Ulm outshot them 49-6.
For the Eagles and head coach Ryan Neuman, it was a game that did not start out like a normal game.
New Ulm scored their first two goals of the game coming in a span of less than a minute with one of the Eagles goals coming on a rare penalty shot.
Windom went on a power play just over two minutes into the game, but Windom’s Wesley Haugen was called for tripping Brecken Neuman, who was breaking in on Windom goaltender Adam Dahna and was awarded a penalty shot that he got by Dahna at the 2:54 mark.
Twenty-eight seconds later, Ian Brudelie made it 2-0 on a short-handed goal when he fired a laser by Dahna.
“We were short-handed, but then we got that first goal off of a penalty shot and then we got the second one shorthanded,” Neuman said. “We could have had more power play goals – we had a lot of power plays tonight – but special teams was a big part of our game tonight.”
A Uecker power-play goal and goals from Brudelie and Lang had New Ulm in cruise control at 5-0 after the first 17 minutes.
Goals from Brudelie – for his hat trick – and Larson increased the New Ulm lead to 7-0 in a chippy second period.
“Part of that play is part of the game, but I just want our guys protected, and that was the main message – don’t take a penalty,” Neuman said.
Uecker’s second goal of the game in the third period made it 8-0 before Uecker passed Hoffmann with an assist on Neuman’s second goal of the game that made it 9-0 for the Eagles at the 13:27 mark of the third period.
“I am proud to be the record holder,” Uecker said. “But that was not my main goal going into this season. I want to play at Xcel in the state tournament.”
New Ulm, now 17-4 overall and 13-2 in the conference, host Waseca next Thursday at the New Ulm Civic Center in a Big South Conference meeting.
