STEVENS POINT, Wis. - The No. 2 seed UW-River Falls men's hockey team tied top-seed and No. 7-ranked UW-Stevens Point 4-4 Friday night in the opening game of the WIAC Tournament Semifinals.
It took the home team just over a minute in to take a lead, scoring on the power play to earn a 1-0 advantage. UWSP scored just a few minutes later to claim a two-goal lead. UWRF fought back to tie the game after 20 minutes, as
Dylan Smith slapped home a tough angled shot near the midway point of the first frame to trim the Pointer lead to 2-1.
Noah Roofe followed, pouncing on a rebound to knot the score at 2-2.
Seven minutes into the second period, Falcon netminder
Dean Buchholz drew contact from a Pointer, and on the ensuing power play UWSP scored shorthanded to take a 3-2 lead. Buchholz was then relieved by
Dysen Skinner. The Falcons had another answer, as
Arsenii Smekhnov scored on the power play late in the second to tie the game at 3-3 heading into the final stanza.
Early into the third period, UWSP capitalized again on special teams, scoring its second power play tally of the game to go up 4-3. The Falcons responded again, this time scoring a shortie of their own.
Jonny Meiers stole the puck from a Pointer and went in on a breakaway to score and tie the game at 4-4 with just over 11 minutes left in regulation.
UWSP went 2-for-6 on the power play while the Falcons were 1-for-5. The Pointers also held a slim edge in shots on goal, 39-38. Meiers led the Falcons a goal and two assists along with eight shots on target.
The Falcons (16-9-3) and Pointers went scoreless in the final 11 minutes of regulation and the five-minute overtime period to for a winner-take-all tomorrow night.
