DULUTH — Fifth-year student Matthew Thiessen made a career-best 52 saves to lead Minnesota-Duluth to a 4-2 victory over St. Cloud State in Saturday's NCHC game at Amsoil Arena.
The Bulldogs (8-14-2 NCHC, 12-18-5 overall) finished the series sweep over the Huskies (15-14-5, 11-9-4). UMD won the opener 6-5 in overtime.
Sophomore defenseman Aiden Dubinski scored a power-play goal at 8:37 of the third period to seal the victory. Graduate center Luke Rohit added an empty-net goal with one second left.
UMD took a 2-0 lead in the second period on goals from graduate student left winger Connor McMenamin (8:48) and junior defenseman Owen Gallatin (18:01).
However, SCSU fought back with two goals within 32 seconds to tie the game at 2-2 going into the third period. Freshman center Tyson Gross scored a power-play goal at 18:51, and fifth-year wing Zach Okabe scored at 19:23 to tie the score. Gross scored in both games of the series and has three goals in the last four games.
St. Cloud State outscored UMD 19-4 in the third period and 41-15 in the final two periods, but suffered the loss.
Freshman Isaac Posch made 23 saves for the Huskies.
With the loss, St. Cloud State will earn the No. 3 seed for the NCHC quarterfinals. The Huskies will play No. 6 seed Western Michigan next weekend.
UMD is the No. 7 seed and will play No. 2 seed Denver next weekend. The Pioneers secured that spot with a 4-3 win over the University of Colorado in Denver on Saturday.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Western Michigan senior left wing Chad Hillebrand scored the first two goals of the game short-handed, three Broncos scored in the second period, and WMU defeated Miami 6-1. , won the entire NCHC series at Lawson Arena.
Hillebrand scored at 4:21 and 11:44 to give the Broncos (11-13, 20-13-1) a 2-0 lead in the first period. Joe Cassetti, a graduate student left winger transferred from Miami, scored two goals in the second period for WMU.
Defensemen Carter Berger and Zach Galambos scored WMU's other goals. Galambos, Cassetti and Berger also had assists, and senior Cameron Rowe made 24 saves in the win.
Senior right wing Thomas Dascas scored for Miami (1-21-2, 7-24-3).
Western Michigan University is the No. 6 seed in the NCHC Tournament and will play a best-of-three NCHC quarterfinal series at St. Cloud State University.
OMAHA, Nebraska — Omaha, Nebraska, ranked 16/17 in two national polls, defeated No. 3 North Dakota 4-1 to complete the Fighting Hawks' first series sweep.
With these two wins, UNO secures the No. 5 seed in the NCHC quarterfinals and will play No. 4 seed Colorado College next weekend. North Dakota State (15-8-1, 24-10-2) is the No. 1 seed and will face Miami in a best-of-three series.
The Mavericks scored the first three goals of the game. Junior left wing Zach Urdahl scored a power-play goal at 3:52 of the first period, and senior right wing Matt Miller scored at 18:16 to give UNO a 2-0 lead. On to the second period. Kirby Proctor scored at 1:19 of the second period to make it 3-0.
Freshman right wing Jayden Perron, a draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, scored on UND's 5-on-3 power play at 3:19 of the second period, cutting the lead to 3-1.
Graduate center Nolan Sullivan tied the game with an empty-net goal at 18:02 of the third period. Graduate student Seth Eisel made his first start since Jan. 27 and made 38 saves in the win. The Mavericks are 9-1-1 in their last 11 games.
Senior Ludwig Persson made 21 saves in the loss.
DENVER — No. 4 ranked Denver beat No. 10/12 Colorado College, 4-3, on a rebound goal by sophomore right wing Jared Wright at 11:44 of the third period, making it home-and-home. Won a series split in the series.
The win moves the Pioneers (15-7-2, 24-9-3) into the No. 2 seed in the NCHC quarterfinals. Denver will face Minnesota-Duluth in a best-of-three series. The University of Colorado (14-8-2, 20-11-3) is the No. 4 seed and will play Nebraska-Omaha next weekend.
Denver got two goals from Sam Harris, who is on a roll. Harris, a freshman left wing draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens, has eight goals in his last seven games, and his two-goal game marked his third in that span. Sophomore left winger Rieger Lorenz, a draft pick of the Minnesota Wild, added a goal and an assist for Denver.
Both teams scored once in the first period and twice in the second period. Harris scored his second goal of the game at 15:13 of the second period, giving Denver a 3-2 lead. But defenseman Ethan Strakey scored at 18:40 to tie the score at 3-3. It was the second goal of the season for Strakey, a sophomore from Walnut Creek, California.
Tigers freshman left wing Drew Montgomery added a goal and an assist.
Sophomore Kaidan Mbeleko made 34 saves in the loss. Junior Matt Davis made 21 saves in the win.