The Falcon men's hockey team was seconds away from having its season end on Saturday night at UW-Stout, but some great efforts helped UWRF extend its season as the team advances to the NCHA Peters Cup semifinal playoffs next weekend.

The Falcons had to win on Saturday to stay alive in the best two-out-of-three games series against Stout. UWS took a 3-2 win on Friday to put UWRF's backs to the wall.

The Falcons responded with a tight 4-3 overtime win and then a 2-0 minigame win to advance.

River Falls 4, Stout 3 OT
The Falcons trailed, 2-0, after the first period. Stout's Kevin O'Donnell scored his 10th goal of the year at 8:07. UWS took a penalty at 15:54, but it was the Blue Devils who capitalized on the situation. Robert Carr scored his ninth goal of the year at 17:06 to make it 2-0. The Falcons outshot Stout in the period, 13-5, but couldn't get anything past UWS goalie Nick Hopper.

UWRF fought back in the second period to tie the game, 2-2. At 15:16 Stout took a minor penalty and the Falcons took advantage of the situation to score their first goal of the game. Justin Brossman (Littleton, CO, Sioux City, USHL) scored the power-play goal at 16:26 with an assist to Ben Beaudoin (Inver Grove Heights, MN, Southern Minnesota, NAHL). It was Brossman's team best 14th goal of the year. Just 28 seconds later the Falcons tied the score. Geoff Shewmake (Chicago, IL, Bradford, GMHL) got the goal, his sixth of the year. Josh Calleja (New Richmond, Wisconsin, MnJHL) picked up the lone assist.

Late in the third period Stout took a minor penalty for slashing giving the Falcons a chance to tie the game. But the Blue Devils took advantage of the opportunity. Stout took a 3-2 lead with just one minute to play on a short-handed goal by Carr.

But the Falcons battled back.

With goalieScott Lewan (Westland, MI, Alberni Valley, BCHL) pulled for an extra attacker and with UWRF still on the power play, the Falcons tied the game with just eight seconds to play. Calleja scored the goal, his ninth of the year. Alec Hagaman (Peoria, IL, Topeka, NAHL) and Jason Yuel (Winnipeg, MAN, Prince George, BCHL) got assists on the goal.

The game went into overtime and with Lewan pulled again, Sean Roadhouse (Tulsa, OK, Texas, NAHL) netted the game-winner with just 29 seconds to play in the extra five-minute session.Jeff Burke (New Richmond, Topeka, NAHL) got the lone assist on the game-winner.

Box Score

River Falls 2, Stout 0
Martin Sundstedt (McKinney, TX, Topeka, NAHL) picked a great time to score his first collegiate goal as he netted what proved to be the game winner at 13:39 of the minigame. He beat UWS goalie, Tom Lescovich, high on the blocker side from about 30 feet to the goalie's right. John Bullis (Frisco, TX, Texas, NAHL) picked up the assist on the big goal.

Stout had its best chance to tie the game when a shot rang off the pipe behind Lewan with about 2:33 to play in the game. Lewan stopped all nine shots on him in the minigame.

Brossman put the game out of reach when he scored an empty-net goal with 49 seconds to play. Calleja picked up the assist.

The Falcons had a 14-9 advantage in shots in the game. There were no penalties called in the contest.

UWRF's record improved to 4-3 all-time in minigames. The Falcons last played a minigame at Hunt Arena in the 2004-05 season when they defeated Stout, 2-1.

The Falcons improve to 12-13-2 and will play at No. 2 ranked St. Norbert on Saturday. SNC is 20-4-1 this year and beat UWRF three times. SNC took 3-1 and 2-1 wins in DePere on Nov. 19-20 and then took a 3-1 win at Hunt Arena on Feb. 11.

Box Score