Falls defeats Lourdes 3-1 in Kiwanis/Wells Fargo Hockey Festival championship

It was definitely a happy new year for the Falls Broncos.

Jace Baldwin tallied two goals, including the game-winner in the third period, and the Broncos skated to a 3-1 victory Wednesday over Rochester Lourdes in the championship of the Kiwanis/Wells Fargo Hockey Festival in Rochester, Minn.

It was the Falls’ second championship at the festival in as many years, and the Broncos became only the second team to win back-to-back titles in the tourney’s history, which dates back to 1996.

Lourdes won two titles in a row in 1998 and 1999.

“We were the fresher team by far at the end and we were getting the scoring chances. We must be in pretty good shape,” said Broncos head coach John Prettyman, reporting from a bus with a loud and jubilant team in the background.

It was the same bus the Broncos were in at the strike of midnight Wednesday, as the team departed Rochester around 8 p.m., facing a 7-hour ride back to International Falls.

Lourdes scored first in the championship and dominated play in the first period, but goalie Mike Hart and the Broncos defense weathered the storm before rebounding in the second.

Nick Wylam’s goal for Lourdes at the 14:52 mark of the first gave the home team a 1-0 lead, and things didn’t look good as the sixth-ranked Eagles held a 10-2 advantage in shots on goal.

The tide turned in the middle of the second period, however, as the Broncos’ attack with three lines wore out Lourdes’ attack with just two lines.

Jake Ruelle tied it at the 14:53 mark of the second, after taking a pass from Josh Leinum, and Baldwin put the Broncos up for good at the 13:47 mark of the third, benefiting from a 5-on-3 advantage. Willie Corrin and Jacob Casareto assisted on the game-winner. Baldwin then emphatically capped the victory with an unassisted, empty-net goal — shooting it the length of the ice — with one second remaining. The tally was fresh off a defensive stand as the Broncos were called for a penalty with 2:11 left.

“It was like the tale of two games,” Prettyman said, noting his squad outshot the Eagles 6-2 in the final period.

Hart finished with 22 saves to pick up the win, while Nick Heimer stopped 15 shots for Lourdes (7-2).

The Broncos (7-4-1) return to action Thursday at home against Eveleth-Gilbert, a team they crushed 11-1 earlier in the season.