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Pointers Swept By Lake Forest in
NCHA Playoffs
Box
Score
UW-Stevens Point fell short of the Northern Collegiate
Hockey Association semifinals for the first time in nine seasons as Lake Forest
posted an historic 6-1 victory over the Pointers on Saturday at Willett Arena.
The win gave the Foresters their first-ever sweep of a
NCHA postseason series and their second playoff series victory. It also marked
just the second time a road team has swept a NCHA quarterfinal series and only
the third quarterfinal series win by a visiting squad. UW-Stevens Point was
previously the only road team to win in the quarterfinals, beating UW-Superior
in a mini-game last year and sweeping UW-Stout in 2001-02.
Lake Forest advances to face top-seeded St. Norbert in
a single-elimination semifinal game on Saturday in De Pere. It is just the
second time the Pointers have lost a quarterfinal series and the first time
they�ve been swept, having split a series with UW-Superior in 1995-96 before
losing a mini-game. Both teams evened their records as Lake Forest is 13-13-1
and UW-Stevens Point ends its year at 12-12-3.
Lake Forest scored the game�s first goal when Robin
Charest scored at the 10:07 mark of the first period, but the Pointers tied the
game on a delayed penalty when they were able to get an extra attacker on the
ice and Tom Vernelli scored with 2:03 left in the period.
The Foresters controlled the first period in Friday�s
4-3 win, but owned the second period on Saturday. Despite being outshot 15-9,
the Foresters scored all three goals of the period to take a commanding 4-1
lead. Greg Ihnken scored the first of his two goals on a power play at the 6:18
mark.
UW-Stevens Point had an opportunity to tie the game
midway through the period when the Foresters committed two penalties at the same
whistle to grant the Pointers a full two minutes of a five-on-three power play,
but the Pointers were unable to score and committed a penalty of their own one
minute into the advantage. Ryan Panet then picked the puck from a Pointer
defender and scored a breakaway goal before Charest added another goal late in
the period to put Lake Forest in control.
Foresters� goalie Cody Brown turned away all 11 shots
in the third period and finished with 34 saves, while Ihnken and Tyler Canal
added goals in the final frame. UW-Stevens Point outshot the Foresters 35-22,
but the Pointers� power play that entered the weekend ranked fourth in the NCAA
Division III was zero-for-seven for the game. |
