KALAMAZOO, Mich. – After being held to just one goal in Saturday night's National Collegiate Hockey Conference Quarterfinal series opener, the Western Michigan hockey team exploded for five goals to force a decisive game three on Monday night at 7:05 p.m. after a 5-2 win over Colorado College on Sunday night.
Dawson DiPietro had two goals and an assist, while Colt Conrad and Corey Schueneman each had a goal and an assist. Josh Passolt and Cam Lee chipped in two assists, while Wade Allison and Cam Orchard also tallied helpers. Trevor Gorsuch made 25 saves on the night, with the Broncos outshooting the Tigers 40-27 on the night.
Just like Saturday night, Western Michigan got on the board first and early. DiPietro netted his first of the night just 1:57 into the first period. Lee played the puck to Allison at center ice. Allison took it to the right dot outside the blue line and played DiPietro in. The junior forward then fired a wrist shot past Alex Leclerc.
WMU carried its 1-0 lead into the second period but Troy Conzo tied it up just 4:17 into the stanza. Mason Bergh fired a shot that went wide but bounced off the boards and back near the net. Conzo shot the puck and it bounced off of the back of Gorsuch and into the net.
Western Michigan responded with a goal by Conrad at 16:51. DiPietro played it to Conrad to the right of the crease and he snuck it past Leclerc off the far post and into the net to put the Broncos up 2-1.
Schueneman pushed the lead to 3-1 with 27 seconds left in the second period on his third goal of the season. Conrad went around the net and found Schueneman wide open in the slot. The senior defenseman one-timed it into the top-right corner of the net. Conrad picked up his team-leading 27th assist on the season and Passolt tallied his 15th.
CC answered on a goal by Brian Yoon just 12 seconds later. There was a scramble in front of the net and the puck found Yoon in the slot and he put it into the left-side of the net for his third goal of the season.
Western Michigan quickly pushed its lead back to two on a goal by Austin Rueschhoff just 1:44 into the third period. Orchard, who was playing in his first game since Dec. 1, won a race to the boards and lifted a Tiger defenseman's stick to get possession of the puck. He centered it to Rueschhoff, who buried it into the top-left corner for his career-high 11th goal of the season. Orchard picked up his first point of the season on the crucial goal and Passolt tallied his second of the night.
WMU put the game out of reach at 13:08 in the third period on DiPietro's second goal of the night. DiPietro hopped out of the puck just as Schueneman cleared the zone. DiPietro skated in but was going to be cut off by a Colorado College defenseman from getting in on net. Instead he wound up and fired a rocket past Leclerc for his ninth goal of the season, pushing the lead to 5-2.
The two teams meet again to decide the series on Monday night at 7:05 p.m. All WMU students will get in for free. Tickets for the general public are available at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets. The game will also be streamed live on NCHC.tv and can be heard live on the Bronco Radio Network.
