(UND Athletics)
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The University of North Dakota hockey team skated to a 2-2 tie against No. 17 Western Michigan on Friday night from Lawson Ice Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Despite the game finishing officially as a tie, UND (6-8-4, 2-5-2 NCHC) earned two-of-three points with a shootout victory to three points of WMU (10-8-1, 4-4-1 NCHC) in the league standings.
Making his first start in his home state of Michigan since joining the Fighting Hawks, goaltender Drew DeRidder turned in one of his best performances of the season. The Fenton, Mich., native stopped 26-of-28 shots, including 10 on the WMU power play, to improve to 3-6-3 on the season.
Trailing 1-0 after 20 minutes following a Jamie Rome goal with 0.4 remaining in the first period, NoDak put together one of its best stanzas of the season in the second. The visitors knotted the game at 1-1 on the power play when Judd Caulfield tapped home a pass to the crease from Owen McLaughlin just over five minutes into the frame.
North Dakota kept the pressure on, eventually taking a 2-1 lead on Louis Jamernik V’s second goal of the season, setup by a great steal-and-pass from Jackson Blake, to put the green and white on top for the first time. Western Michigan knotted the contest at 2-2 near the midway point of the third period, but DeRidder and the defense held strong over the final eight minutes to send the game into overtime.
UND dominated possession and chances in the extra session, but WMU goaltender Cameron Rowe made three sparkling saves to send the game to a shootout with each team nabbing a point.
Goals from Riese Gaber, Tyler Kleven and Owen McLaughlin proved to be the difference, while DeRidder made a trio of saves to give NoDak the extra point with a 3-2 shootout victory.
North Dakota and Western Michigan close out the weekend series tomorrow night at 5:05 p.m. (CT) from Lawson Ice Arena.
Postgame Notes
- The power play goal by UND was the first by the second unit since Nov. 18 vs. Miami
- Jackson Blake extended his point streak to nine games, the longest of his career
- Blake also becomes the first freshman since Tyson Jost in 2016-17 to have 20 points by Christmas
- He is also only the fifth freshman to accomplish the feat since 1999-00
- Judd Caulfield now has eight goals and 10 points in 11 career games vs. WMU
- Owen McLaughlin and Tyler Kleven scored on their first shootout attempts of the season
- UND finished with a 36-28 shot advantage
- The Hawks were 1-for-4 on the power play while holding WMU to 0-for-6
- DeRidder finished with 26 saves, improving to 1-1-2 this season when finishing with 25-plus saves
- WMU won the faceoff battle, 29-26, with Louis Jamernik V going 12-8 for UND
- The tie snapped a three-game pointless drought in NCHC play
