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Pointers Knock Off Third-Ranked
Yellowjackets
Box
Score
In a game that featured a
little bit of everything, the UW-Stevens Point men�s hockey team threw
everything it had at third-ranked UW-Superior and came away with a hard-fought
7-5 victory over the Yellowjackets Saturday at Willett Arena.
The Pointers� victory tightened
the race for third place in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association, moving
UW-Stevens Point within one point of UW-River Falls for the third spot. The
Pointers play at the Falcons in the regular season finale next weekend and also
hold a one-point lead over fifth place Lake Forest. UW-Superior�s loss put the
Yellowjackets in position for the second seed and gave St. Norbert the NCHA
regular season title.
UW-Stevens Point scored first
for the second straight night and fifth time all season, jumping out to a 2-0
first period lead on a power play goal by Tom Vernelli and a goal from Dan
Francis that came seconds after the Pointers missed out on a two-minute
five-on-three power play.
The Yellowjackets battled back
early in the second period with goals less than two minutes apart from Kyle
Nosan and Rob Whidden, but the Pointers countered with the first of two
shorthanded goals from Mike Brolsma on a goal that took a strange bounce in
front of the Yellowjackets� net. Brett Coburn scored a power play goal later in
the period to put the Pointers ahead 4-2, but UW-Superior�s Myles Palliser
scored with 3:29 left in the second period to cut the deficit back to one.
UW-Stevens Point killed off a
full two minutes of a UW-Superior five-on-three power play to open the third
period, but the Yellowjackets had another power play minutes later, leading to
the strangest play of the night. UW-Superior�s Randall Smisko appeared to score
a goal, but it was ruled that the Pointers� Anthony Forgione covered the puck in
the crease, leading to a penalty shot. Mike Wiggins converted the penalty shot
for the Yellowjackets and UW-Superior remained on the power play before Brolsma
struck again shorthanded with an open shot in front of the net off a pass from
Ryan Kirchhoff to put the Pointers back ahead 5-4.
Kirchhoff scored with 6:51
remaining to give the Pointers a two-goal lead and UW-Superior pulled the goalie
on a power play with 1:52 left. Wiggins scored off the ensuing face off to pull
the Yellowjackets to within 6-5. However, Kirchhoff added an empty net goal with
20 seconds left as the Pointers finished off the win. Kirchhoff finished the
night with two goals and three assists, while Brolsma had two goals and two
assists as the duo were among five seniors in an inspired senior night lineup.
It was the third of three
outstanding games between the teams this season as they played a 3-3 tie on Jan.
7 with the Pointers scoring twice in the third period and UW-Superior won 4-3 on
Jan. 14 on a goal with three seconds left. UW-Stevens Point�s win was its second
in the last 19 meetings with the Yellowjackets.
UW-Superior held a 34-25
advantage in shots as Bryn Davies made 29 saves for the Pointers. Baron Bradley
stopped 18 shots for the Yellowjackets. |
