The University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs are going to the NCAA Division 1 Men’s hockey regional finals after a thrilling 2-1 victory over the defending national champions, the Providence Friars in a game that took until the second overtime to decide.
First Two Periods Pass Without and Goals
The first period saw the Friars getting a lot of shots, but Bulldog goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo was not letting anything passed him. It was the same on the other end, as Friars goalie Nick Ellis was also spectacular, as he didn’t let a goal past him either, leading to the game being tied at the end of the first period.
The second period got off to a rough start for Providence, as just 3:24 into the period, Conor MacPhee was assessed a five minute major penalty, as well as a game misconduct for contact to the head. That gave the Bulldogs an extended power play, their first of the game. Their advantage did not last for long, as about a minute later, Dominic Toninato was assessed a two minute penalty for interference, making it a 4 on 4 situation.
During the 4 on 4, neither team was able to get any serious offense going, and soon the Bulldogs were back to a one man advantage. In the final few minutes of the power play, they were unable to get a goal, and Providence escaped the situation still tied at 0.
The Bulldogs had another power play a short time later, as the Friars were called for too many men on the ice, but once again, the Bulldogs came away empty handed.
Providence got a power play of their own near the end of the period, as Brenden Kotyk was sent to the penalty box for two minutes for holding, giving Providence a power play that would wrap around to the third period, as they were unable to score a goal in the short time left.
Teams Exchange Goals In The Third Period
In the third period, the Bulldogs were able to kill off the final 21 seconds of the power play, then they went to work, as they finally broke the deadlock when Tony Cameranesi scored the first goal of the game. It was his 11th goal of the season, and first of the tournament. The Friars responded a short time later, as Steven McPharland scored his fourth goal of the season to tie the game at one.
The teams then settled back into a similar pattern as the first two periods, as neither team was able to get a goal, despite some very good chances. The Bulldogs had a power play opportunity, as John Gilmour was assessed a two minute penalty for holding. Right at the end of the power play, Josh Monk was whistled for a slashing penalty, giving the Bulldogs a temporary 5 on 3, followed by a 5 on 4 power play.
While on the penalty kill, the Friars got a great breakaway, as Nick Saracino was all alone, but Kaskisuo used the shin pad to stop the chance. Immediately after, the Bulldogs had a breakaway of their own, as Austin Farley was all alone, but he was unable to get a shot off, as the puck was knocked away from him at the last second.
The Bulldogs were then assessed with a penalty of their own, as Cameranesi was given a two minute penalty for slashing, making it four on four for a minute, which saw no goals, followed by a minute of power play time for Providence, which also resulted in no goals, although they did get a good shot with just seconds left on the power play, but it was deflected wide. The Bulldogs had a chance with two seconds left, but the shot just barley went over the net, sending the game to overtime.
Second Overtime's The Charm
The first overtime saw no goals scored, which sent the game to a second overtime, where Carson Kuhlman scored under a minute into the period, giving the Bulldogs the win over the defending national champions. They will now play on Saturday against either Boston College or Harvard, with the winner going to the Frozen Four.