UW-Stevens Point held off a furious UW-Eau Claire comeback attempt in the final minute to post a 5-4 men's hockey win over the Blugolds on Friday at Willett Arena and lock up the sixth seed for next weekend Northern Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs.

The Pointers took a 5-3 lead with 7:17 left on a goal from Pat Lee (Schaumburg, IL/) just four seconds after UW-Eau Claire had pulled within a goal and then stopped the Blugolds after they scored an extra attacker goal in the final minute. UW-Eau Claire's Sean Garrity scored a power play goal with the goalie pulled with one minute remaining and the Blugolds had two great chances in the final 10 seconds, but Pointers' goalie Marcus Paulson (Eden Prairie, MN/Eden Prairie) stopped the first and the second sailed wide.

UW-Stevens Point extended its home unbeaten streak over the Blugolds to 16 straight games and improved to 7-15-2 overall this season and 3-9-2 in the NCHA. UW-Eau Claire is 8-12-4 overall and 1-9-3 in the league. The teams play again on Saturday in Eau Claire in the regular season finale, but the game has no bearing on the playoff seeding as UW-Eau Claire has sealed the seventh seed. UW-Stevens Point will face the third seed, which could be any of four teams.

The Pointers rallied from an early deficit as UW-Eau Claire scored first with a shorthanded goal from Andrew Johnson at the 9:37 mark of the first period. It marked just the second time the Pointers have won in 16 games this year the opponent has scored first.

UW-Stevens Point came back with a power play goal from Lee before the Blugolds took the lead on a goal from Garrity early in the second period. The Pointers then rattled off three straight goals in less than six minutes. Ross Johnson (International Falls, MN/Falls) and Brett Beckfeld (Plymouth, MN/Armstrong) scored 36 seconds apart to give the Pointers the lead and Reed Lally (Duluth, MN/East) added a goal for a 4-2 advantage.

After UW-Eau Claire's Mark Stockdale scored a power play goal to make it 4-3, the Pointers responded with a long shot from Lee directly off the faceoff for the immediate answer.

UW-Eau Claire held a 33-30 advantage in shots as Paulson made 29 saves for the Pointers.