Box Score |
Mini Game Box |
Brooks Postgame |
Boeckman Equalizer |
Heck Winner |
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STEVENS POINT, Wis. - Needing a win to keep its playoff run alive, UW-Stevens Point tallied a 3-0 victory over the Yellowjackets of UW-Superior on Saturday night to force a decisive mini game. In the mini game,
Chad Boeckman (St. Louis, MO/Wentzville Holt)'s equalizer with 36 seconds remaining forced sudden death overtime where
Kyle Heck (Plover, WI/SPASH) tallied the game winner at 4:49, advancing UWSP to the semifinal round of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) Playoffs.
With a Superior victory in the two-game series opener on Friday, the Pointers entered Saturday night's game needing a victory to force a decisive mini game.
The Pointers came out strong as Boeckman scored at the 15:54 of the first half, on the power play, off
Brandon Busse (Stevens Point, WI/SPASH) and
Jerry Freismuth (Grosse Pointe, MI/North) assists.
After a scoreless second period, the Pointers gave themselves some breathing room in the third, as
Max Bobrow (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) tallied a goal at the 4:22 mark of the period off assists from
Kevin Gibson (Grosse Pointe, MI/North) and
Kyle Politz (Apple Valley, MN/Apple Valley).
Heck put the game out of reach at the 11:41 mark, scoring his 19th of the season off
Andrew Kolb (Toledo, OH/Toledo Catholic) and Gibson assists.
In the mini game, Superior's Justin Faryna scored first, on the power play, to give the visiting 'Jackets a 1-0 edge.
With time winding down, UW-Stevens Point pulled goalkeeper Brandon Jaegar and with the extra attacker on,
Chad Boeckman (St. Louis, MO/Wentzville Holt) pushed past the equalizer with just 36 seconds left on the clock to force sudden death overtime.
In overtime, Jaeger stopped a UWS shot on target early on and 4:49 in, Heck pushed in the wrap-around goal to send the Pointers to the semifinals.
UW-Stevens Point (13-10-4) advances to play St. Scholastica, who advanced to the semifinals with a quarterfinal series win over UW-Stout. The other NCHA Semifinal match-up will pit sixth-seeded UW-Eau Claire against top-seeded St. Norbert College.
- more to follow -
