No one has been able to wipe the smile off the face of the Lawrence University hockey coach since his team picked up its first win of the season Friday night at the Appleton Family Ice Center. The Vikings beat Northland College 3-2 in a Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association game Friday, and Lawrence skated to a 5-5 tie with the Lumberjacks on Saturday.
The win was also the first for Ruhly, who is in his first season as the Vikings' head coach.
"I wish it had come a lot sooner. I think this will definitely bring more success to the team and prove that we can play at this level, which we haven't done yet this year," Ruhly said.
"I think we've really broken through. We've lost six players since semester (break), and I think it's brought the group together. Everyone is playing the way they know they can."
Sophomore forward Tom Conti had an outstanding weekend for the Vikings, totaling five points on two goals and three assists.
"It's taken him a little while to find his niche," Ruhly said of Conti.
Consider it found.
Conti assisted on the first goal of the weekend when Chris Phelps scored less than 10 minutes into the first period Friday night. The Lumberjacks knotted the score at 1-1 later in the period, but Lawrence grabbed the lead back on Conti's goal with 1:40 remaining in the first.
Northland scored at the 16:08 mark of the second period to tie the game at 2-2, but sophomore forward Mike Vernon scored what proved to be the game-winning goal less than a minute later off an assist by Phelps.
"(Vernon is) part of that top line with Phelps and Conti," Ruhly said. "He's been our most skilled player throughout the year so far."
Backed up by 30 saves from Grant Henderson, the Vikings held on for the win.
Saturday night was a game marked by comebacks.
Northland grabbed a 2-0 lead on a pair of first-period goals. Conti cut the lead to 2-1 at the 7:20 mark of the first period, and Phelps tied the game at 2-2 in the second period off an assist from Conti.
"Though he's small (5-foot-10, 155 pounds), he's got a great attitude and he works really hard," Ruhly said of Phelps.
Lawrence grabbed a 3-2 on Conti's unassisted goal with 17 seconds left in the second period. The third period was a wild one. Northland scored two straight goals to take a 4-3 lead before Vernon and Sam Sather scored back-to-back goals to give the Vikings a 5-4 lead. Northland got the game's final goal to force the scoreless overtime.
Henderson had another great night in the nets for Lawrence as he recorded 41 saves.