Red River boys hockey team stretches winning streak to 30

The winning streak for the Grand Forks Red River boys hockey team has reached 30 games.

Braden Costello and Reed Turner each scored two goals as the Roughriders beat Mandan 5-2 on Saturday afternoon in Red River's season opener at Eagles Arena.

"I thought we got off to a slow start," Turner said. "We got chances, but we didn't bury them. When we bury them, we can be a really good team."

Mandan held Red River scoreless through the first period and stopped the first 20 Roughrider shots.

But Red River scored three goals 40 seconds apart, including two by Turner 18 seconds apart, in the second period to pull away.

Turner's first goal came late in a power play to start the scoring at 6:12 of the second period.

Turner, who scored again at 6:30 of the second, played in six games last season and didn't score any goals.

"We need guys to do what (Turner) did today," Red River coach Bill Chase said. "His confidence went up as the game went on. We'll need that."

Costello, a junior and Red River's leading scorer a year ago, scored at 6:52 of the second after he finished at the net off a pass from Mason Salquist.

"We had a lot of new people in there," Chase said. "They were going hard. I don't fault us for that. But we were excited and nervous. We weren't going to the right areas. They all started to figure it out eventually, which was good to see."

Mandan, which beat Hazen-Beulah 12-0 in its season opener, trimmed the lead to 3-1 late in the second period, but the Riders went to the second intermission leading 4-1 when Costello struck again on another feed from Salquist.

"We had some first-game jitters," Turner said. "As the game progressed, I thought we sunk into our positions and played our roles."

Mandan's Austin Leingang and Red River's Reed Olson scored third-period goals for the final margin.

Red River outshot Mandan 40-13. Red River goalie Jacob Mehlhoff had 11 saves and Mandan's Maysion Mattern had 35 stops.

"It was alright," Chase said of the team's overall play. "We were a little too excited and sloppy."

Red River visits Fargo Davies on Tuesday.

1/5: Red River forward Braden Costello fires a puck past Mandan goalie Maysion Mattern (31) in the second period making it 4-1 by the end of the second period of Saturday’s between the Roughriders and Braves at the Eagles Arena in Grand Forks, N.D. (Jesse Trelstad/Grand Forks Herald)

2/5: Red River head coach Bill Chase and the rest of the bench watch the action in front of Mandan's net during the second period of Saturday’s match between the Roughriders and Braves at the Eagles Arena in Grand Forks, N.D. (Jesse Trelstad/Grand Forks Herald)

3/5: Red River forward Reed Turner (11) spins aroud firing a puck past Mandan goalie Mansion Mattern (31) in the second period of Saturday’s between the Roughriders and Braves at the Eagles Arena in Grand Forks, N.D. (Jesse Trelstad/Grand Forks Herald)

4/5: Red River forward Tyler Savage and and Mandan forward Josh Clark (16) battle for the puck after a face-off during the first period of Saturday’s game at Eagles Arena in Grand Forks, N.D. (Jesse Trelstad/Grand Forks Herald)

5/5: Red River forward Reed Turner (11) puts a hit on Mandan defenseman Trae Bennett during first period of Saturday’s at Eagles Arena in Grand Forks, N.D. (Jesse Trelstad/Grand Forks Herald)