GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Alex Bump delivered two goals to secure a 3-2 overtime victory for Western Michigan on Friday night at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The win pushed the Broncos to 14-4-1 overall and 7-1-1 in NCHC play.
Along with Bump’s two goals, Liam Valente was able to light the lamp. Cameron Rowe improved to 11-1-0 on the season, making 29 saves in the win. Seven different players recorded a point in the game.
FIRST PERIOD
Rowe made two saves and the Broncos blocked another shot in the opening two minutes of the game. From there, the Brown and Gold started to settle in, getting a strong shot from Joona Vaisanen.
After the Vaisanen shot, Valente had a pair of prime shots blocked out front by the Fighting Hawks defense. Following another Rowe save, Bump made a man miss in the offensive zone. He fired a puck on net that UND goaltender Hobie Hedquist was just able to get a piece of.
North Dakota would go on to open the scoring with under seven minutes to play in the opening frame. From there, WMU picked up its offensive pressure, getting another great look from Bump. The Broncos nearly scored on a scramble in front of the net, but the UND defense cleared the puck off the line.
Down the stretch, WMU had some more strong chances, including a Tim Washe shot that hit the post and stayed out. UND carried a one-goal lead into the second period.
SECOND PERIOD
Western Michigan tied the game at 1-1 not even two minutes into the period. Valente found a bouncing puck out front and ripped a shot by Hedquist for his eighth goal of the season. However, a few minutes after the goal, WMU was sent off for holding.
UND got two shots and the Broncos blocked another to get back to full strength. Following the power play, Bump and Zack Sharp had quality chances on Hedquist. He was able to keep the game tied moving to the back half of the middle frame.
In the closing minutes of the period, Rowe made a terrific glove save to rob Carter Wilkie of the go-ahead goal. Not too long after that, Bump tried his luck on net one more time before the period expired. The two teams would go to the locker room tied at 1-1.
THIRD PERIOD
After a turnover in the defensive zone, North Dakota found the back of the net to make it 2-1 early in the third frame. It didn’t take long for the Broncos to answer, though, as Bump netted the tying goal just 40 seconds later.
Owen Michaels won a battle on the boards and got the puck to bump for a one-timer. He beat Hedquist for his sixth goal of the season. The Brown and Gold then got a flurry of shots, with Grant Slukynsky, Valente, Tim Washe and Samuel Sjolund each having shots saved.
Ty Henricks then tested Hedquist with a shot as the game moved to the back half of the final period. Rowe made another great save to keep the game tied with time winding down. Eventually, WMU would be called for a penalty with just over two minutes to play.
However, UND would get its own penalty about 30 seconds into the man advantage. The two teams played 4-on-4 for the remainder of regulation. The game would move to overtime, and Western Michigan carried 22 seconds of power-play time into the extra session.
OVERTIME
After taking control of the opening faceoff, Vaisanen worked the puck around the zone to Bump who fired a shot on net. With Michaels setting a screen in front, the puck found the back of the net to give the Brown and Gold a 3-2 victory. The goal was Bump’s second of the night.
UP NEXT
The Broncos will look to finish off a sweep of the Fighting Hawks tomorrow night at Ralph Engelstad Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 PM EST.
