10:12 pm – Wisconsin hit its magic mark. UW is undefeated on the season (23-0-2) when it has a lead after two periods. Blake Geoffrion gets a power play goal with 44 seconds left in the second period to put the Badgers up. Justin Schultz had a nifty no look drop backhand pass to Geoffrion, who went far post from the right circle. Michael Davies was there to pick up any scrap had there been a rebound.
The Badgers played much better in the second after starting slow in the first period. One example – UW outshot UV 16-3 for the period. Badgers are now 3-3 on the power play.
9:20 pm – You would think Wisconsin got the message when Denver lost to RIT earlier today. Instead, the Badgers came out flat – despite scoring first – and Vermont really looked like the team that’s going to advance to face St. Cloud State tomorrow.
Justin Schultz scored a power play goal to put UW up 1-0, firing a wrister from the high slot. But Dan Lawson scored his first of the season, one on a controversial play where UW goaltender Scott Gudmandson was crashed into and backed into his own net. Brian Roloff knocked in a rebound on the power play to give the Catamounts the early lead.
Brendan Smith got a cross checking penalty at the end of the period, while Wahsontiio Stacey was called for contact to the head, so it will be 4-on-4 to start the second.
8:40 – UW-Vermont about to start. SCSU wins in 2OT over NMU 4-3.
7:00 pm – St. Cloud State and Northern Michigan are going to overtime. NMU’s Erik Spady tied the game at 3 at 16:11 of the third period. SCSU had about five chances to score in the final minute, but we’ll play an extra period.
The Huskies took an early 2-0 lead, off goals from Travis Novak and Ryan Lasch, but the Wildcats’ Justin Florek responded on the power play to make it 2-1 after one period.
The second period featured goals by both teams, as SCSU went up 3-1 on Garrett Roe’s power play goal from the bottom of the right circle. Ray Kaunisto got NMU back to within one after a Huskies turnover and it was Spady’s third-period goal that got us to OT.
In other regional action, the East Regional’s No. 1 seed Denver fell 2-1 to RIT earlier. Big upset there, the Pioneers had two Hobey Baker candidates in Rhett Rakhshani and Marc Cheverie.