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Kulas' Late Goal Lifts Janesville To Victory

By MJ Hammett WiPH Staff, 02/12/16, 6:30PM CST

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Down by two twice, rally for conference win

   Many say that the 3-1 lead is the worst in hockey.
 
   Sun Prairie may agree with you.
 
   The Cards got out to a 3-1 lead and then the Janesville Bluebirds came back to beat Sun Prairie 4-3 in a Big Eight Conference win in Janesville.
 
   Sun Prairie got off to a great start as they scored on their first shot of the game. Noah Nehmer got off a shot from the left circle and beat former SP Cardinal goalie Jack Bostedt short side high for the early lead.
 
   The Cardinals would score again late in the period when the Bluebirds failed to clear the defensive zone and Trent Behnke made them pay with a goal for a 2-0 lead thru one period. Janesville outshot the Cardinals 11-5 in the opening period.
 
   The second period saw Janesville score on their first shot almost halfway thru the period. On the power play Junior defenseman Nolan Frederick was able to rip aone time shot from the slot and past Cardinal goalie Sam Dunn for a 2-1 deficit.
 
   The Cards got the dreaded 3-1 lead on a puck that seemed to pinball around the Janesville net and past Bostedt.Trent Behnke was credited with the goal.
 
   But Janesville got a break late in the period. With just under 2 minutes left in the period Sun Prairie was whistled for two penalties. With a 5 on 3 power play Janesville got to within one on a Jack MacDougall unassisted goal with 17 seconds left in the period.
 
   Janesville finally pulled even early in the third period. Defenseman Dylan Martin was able to get off a shot from out near the blue line. Cards goalie Sam Dunn was screened on the shot which landed in the net to tie the game at 3.
 
   Soon after the score the Bluebirds began making trips to the penalty box. The Cardinals got a pair of 5 on 3 power plays but Bostedt and the Janesville penalty killers got out of it without giving up a goal.
 
   With Just over 5 minutes left in the game Janesville got a 2 on 1 break. Junior Forward Tyler Kulas was on a 2 on 1 and ripped a shot past Dunn on his right side for the 4-3 lead. Janesville took another penalty late but Sun Prairie got no closer.
 
  Sam Dunn finished with 18 saves while Janesville goalie Jack Bostedt made 26 saves, including 15 in the third period. The game was Sun Prairies final game of the regular season, while Janesville
hosts Beloit on Saturday.

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