ST. CLOUD, Minn.– Easton Brodzinski’s shootout goal gave St. Cloud State a second league standings point in an official 3-3 tie with North Dakota Friday evening at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in National Collegiate Hockey Conference play. UND’s lead in the conference is now nine points with five games remaining in the regular season.
Westin Michaud got North Dakota on the board first with a short-handed goal. The senior transfer scooped up a loose puck in the corner and raced along the goalline to beat David Hrenak to the far side for a 1-0 lead late in the first.
After SCSU scored two goals in a 2:13 span in the middle portion of the second to take the lead, Shane Pinto re-tied the score with his team-leading fifth power-play goal of the season. He was setup by Jordan Kawaguchi, who fed Michaud on the left side of David Hrenak. Michaud then flicked a behind-the-back centering pass right to Pinto, who buried it for his 15th goal in his freshman season.
In the third, Jacob Bernard-Docker put the Fighting Hawks back in front with his fifth goal of the season. He waltzed down the slot and sniped a wrister past Hrenak and North Dakota found itself back in front, 3-2.
It was short-lived, however, as St. Cloud State answered just over three minutes later. On the scoring play, Judd Caulfield was whistled for a 5-minute major for interfeernce after a lengthy video review.
UND killed off the penalty and the game eventually went to overtime. In the extra frame, North Dakota had a handful of quality chances but Hrenak was up to the task to keep it tied.
Neither team scored in the 3-on-03 shootout, leaving the extra point to a shootout, where Brodzinski’s goal provided SCSU with a second league point.
Junior UND netminder Peter Thome remained unbeaten on the season (6-0-2) with the tie, making 30 saves through the overtime period.
The teams wrap their season series Saturday night with a 6:07 p.m. puck drop on FOX Sports North, FOX College Sports Atlantic and the Home of Economy Fighting Hawks Sports Radio Network and streamed online at nchc.tv.
Notes: Senior forward Zach Yon made his first appearance in a game since Jan. 4 against UAH … North Dakota was making its first visit to SCSU in over two years with the last series here coming on Dec. 8-9, 2017 … Michaud’s short-handed goal was North Dakota’s second of the season (Cole Smith) … Pinto’s PPG gave him the team lead in that category and also tied him with Kawaguchi for the overall team lead (15) … UND has now played in seven overtime games this season (3-0-4) … A North Dakota regulation or overtime win (three points) and a Minnesota Duluth loss in regulation or OT (0 points) Saturday will give UND at least a share of the NCHC’s regular season title and its third Penrose Cup.
