ORIGINAL ARTICLE

indbergh junior Connor Morris picked a great time for his first goal of the season.

Morris’ goal, the second in a 24-second span, helped lift the Flyers to a 4-2 win over Seckman in a Mid-States Club Hockey Association Suburban Division game at the Kennedy ice rink on Monday night.

“It was really kind of an accident,” Morris said. “A couple of lucky bounces. It just worked out.”

Cole Kersting started the sequence, jamming home a loose puck to give the Flyers a 3-1 lead with 54 seconds left in the second. Kersting’s 10th goal of the season tied him for the team-high with Russell Hess, who got an assist on the tally.

“We were just trying to get pucks deep,” Kersting said. “Keep a good forecheck on.”

Seckman had a strong push immediately after Kersting’s goal, but Flyers goalie Andrew Yocum came up big to keep the Jaguars from a quick answer, allowing Lindbergh to strike again just 24 seconds later as Morris finished a breakout with Tommy Wagner.

“It kind of got scary there, it seemed like they were coming back, but it seemed to change after we got that fourth goal,” Morris said.

Instead of Seckman possibly cutting the deficit to one, Lindbergh took a commanding three goal lead heading into the third period.

“All the forwards they’re starting to buy into our system,” Lindbergh coach Dave Freeman said. “Getting the puck deep and when they get chances I tell them take the open ice. If they’re getting blocked, boxed in or guys are coming in on them, gain the zone, get it in deep and they’re doing the right thing. We’re playing like a really good team right now.”

Carter Ammel gave Seckman some life with a goal 5 minutes, 20 seconds into the third period, putting home a feed from Kenny Banaszek to cut it to a two-goal deficit, but that was as close as the Jaguars got.

Nicholas Foerstel and Brian Wagner also scored for Lindbergh (10-7-2, 22 points), which leap-frogged Seckman (10-8-1, 21 points) for third place in the Suburban Division standings.

Yocum made 19 saves, running his season record to 9-3-2 for the Flyers.

“He’s been the backbone of our team all year,” Freeman said. “We wouldn’t be where we’re at without him.”

Ammel had a goal and an assist, and Jack Knoll made 19 saves for Seckman, which lost to Lindbergh for the second time this season.

Foerstel gave Lindbergh a 1-0 lead scoring directly off of a faceoff win by Grant Blessing with 4:26 left in the first period. It was Foerstel’s second goal and Blessing’s second assist of the season.

Culleton tied the game with his team leading 13th of the season with 10 seconds left in the first. Culleton buried a perfectly executed break with Ammel. Knoll also got an assist on the tally.

Wagner regained a 2-1 lead for Lindbergh with a wrister from the right circle with 4:18 left in the second period. Jake Williams and Luke Fischer got the assists.

“This game is huge,” Kersting said. “We haven’t hit 10 wins in a long time so it really means a lot to us. We’re trying to get more.”