GRAND FORKS, N.D. - #5/5 Western Michigan hockey (6-1-1, 0-0-1 NCHC) took a 1-0 shootout win over #10/10 North Dakota (4-3-1, 0-0-1 NCHC) to open conference play at Ralph Engelstad Arena on Friday night.
On the same day he was named HCA Co-Rookie of the Month, freshman forward Adam Benák opened the scoring in the contest as he buried the puck 52 seconds into the opening period. It was his fourth goal of the season, unassisted.
North Dakota evened the game at one apiece on the power play at 6:25 of the first, when Hudson Malinoski potted one from Jack Kernan and Sam Laurila. Forty-one seconds into the second period, Brasen Boser gave the home team a 2-1 lead, scoring from Ollie Josephson and Cody Croal.
WMU thought it had tied the game later in the period, but Tommy Lafrenière's goal was waved off after a review.
The Broncos pushed in the third. After
Quentin Miller was pulled for an extra attacker on a delayed penalty at 13:27, the power play cashed in. Junior defenseman Joona Väisänen and Lafrenière moved the puck to junior forward
Ty Henricks, where he buried it at 15:22 to tie the game, scoring his fourth goal of the season.
That was the end of scoring in regulation, and the game was set to be decided in overtime.
Neither team scored in the extra five-minute period. The Brown and Gold survived the North Dakota power play that carried over from regulation and outshot the Fighting Hawks 3-0 in the extra period.
In the shootout, senior forward
William Whitelaw scored in the first round, and North Dakota could not convert on any of its three attempts, giving the Broncos the extra point.
Sophomore goaltender
Quentin Miller held the Broncos in it all night, finishing with 24 saves. Twelve of them came in the second period, when North Dakota outshot Western Michigan 13-3. He recorded the 750th save of his career in the game, and North Dakota never beat him in the shootout.
Western Michigan and North Dakota wrap up the series Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
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