Spotlight: Apollo at Sauk Rapids Boys Hockey (Audio)

St. Cloud Apollo jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one period, then held on for a 7-3 victory over Sauk Rapids-Rice at Sports Arena East.

Dallas Haugen started the scoring for Apollo at the 2:36 mark of the first period, assisted by Tanner Biedenbach and Jordan Keller.

Just :47 later, Jared Christen scored his 33rd goal of the season on a loose puck in front, with assists credited to Jason Omann and Grady Ewing.

Apollo took a 3-0 lead late in the first period on an Jordan Keller goal off a rebound of an Erik Jarosch shot.

Keller's fourth goal of the season gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead into the first intermission. Apollo outshot Sauk Rapids 14-5 in the opening period.

With Sauk Rapids-Rice's Joey Streeter serving a five minute major penalty for boarding, the Eagles struck for a pair of goals to increase their lead to five.

Apollo's Christen scored his second goal of the game, and 34th of the season at 4:42 with the assist credited to Brandon Bloch.

Exactly two minutes later the Eagles' Paul Kenney scored his 22nd goal of the season on the power play to run the score to 5-0.

Sauk Rapids went into the locker room at the second intermission trailing 5-0. Shots on goal through two periods of play were 30-12 in favor of St. Cloud Apollo.

The Storm would not go quietly, however. Sauk sophomore Brandon Duray notched his seventh goal of the season on a power play just :37 into the third period to break the shutout.

Apollo's Ewing answered back on the power play just over a minute later to make the lead five once again at 6-1.

Sauk Rapids-Rice then got back-to-back goals to cut the Apollo lead in half, beginning with Blake Chapa's goal at 5:26.

Matt Meyer scored just over two minutes later to make the score 6-3.

However, that was as close as the Storm would get, as Apollo's Paul Kenney iced the game with a short handed goal at 13:18 of the third period to make the score 7-3.