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Pointers Earn Home Playoff Series
With Win
Box
Score
UW-Stevens Point made sure it would open the Northern Collegiate Hockey
Association playoffs at home, rolling over UW-Stout 8-2 in the regular season
finale on Saturday in Menomonie.
The
Pointers needed a victory to ensure a fourth place finish and a first round home
series and did so convincingly, opening up a 2-2 game with two goals in the
second period and four more in the third. UW-Stevens Point will host
fifth-seeded Lake Forest in a best-of-two series with a possible mini-game on
Feb. 18-19 at Willett Arena. Both games will start at 7:30 p.m.
UW-Stevens Point freshman Tom Vernelli recorded his first career hat trick in
the victory and Mike Brolsma had a pair of goals, including the go-ahead goal
that broke a 2-2 tie at the 7:19 mark of the third period. Vernelli scored goals
in each period and his goal at the 11:51 mark of the second period gave the
Pointers a 4-2 cushion.
The
Pointers came out for the third period red-hot as Nate Sorenson scored 22
seconds into the frame and Chris Gehrke added another goal just three minutes
later. Brolsma added a breakaway goal and Vernelli had a late power play goal
for the hat trick.
Vernelli and Dan Francis each had goals in the first period as the Pointers held
leads of 1-0 and 2-1 before the Blue Devils rallied to tie the game each time.
Brett Coburn finished with three assists for UW-Stevens Point, which concluded
the regular season 12-10-3 overall and 7-6-1 in the NCHA.
UW-Stevens Point split both of its regular season meetings with Lake Forest with
each team taking a 3-2 victory on its home ice. The teams also played in the
2003 quarterfinals at Willett Arena with UW-Stevens Point earning a win and tie
to advance to the NCHA semifinals.
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