Box Score
A much-need victory is what the University of Minnesota Duluth needed Saturday night at AMSOIL Arena and a much needed victory is what it got.

The Bulldogs built an early lead only to see Western Michigan University claw back with three straight goals before clinching the 4-3 National Collegiate Hockey Conference triumph with Alex Iafallo's power play goal midway through the third period. The victory earned UMD (7-8-1 overall; 3-5-0-0) a split in the two-game series with Broncos (7-8-3, 3-5-0-0), a 5-3 winner Friday night.

UMD got off to blazing start by scoring just 12 seconds in (one second shy of a program record) when freshman left winger Kyle Osterberg beat Western Michigan goaltender Frank Sublowski with an odd-angle shot just outside of the extended goal line.  Sophomore center Cal Decowski ripped in a wrister from the right face off dot with 2:03 to go in the first and junior right winger Justin Crandall then made it 3-0 Bulldogs 95 seconds later with his team-leading and career-high eighth goal of the season.

Josh Pitt got the Bronco rally going by striking at 18:07 of the second period and again 3:36 into the third. At 6:51,  Justin Kovacs capitalized on a UMD turnover and got the equalizer, but Iafallo, who was mired in a five-game scoring slump, roofed a shot off a give-in-go from Decowski for the game-winner.

"We sat back on our heels a little bit in the third period and they came back, but we pulled it together and found a way to win," said Osterberg, who was named the Game's No. 1 star for his two-point night.

Senior Aaron Crandall, making his 10th start of the season, finished with 26 saves while improving to 5-5-0. Slubowski, who was pulled after only 17:57 of work, and his replacement, Lukas Hafner, combined for 18 saves. Crandall and the Bulldogs killed off all five Bronco power plays on the night, including a 6-on-3 (with the Western Michigan goalie pulled) advantage for the final 36 seconds of regulation.

The Bulldogs will have nearly three weeks off before returning to the ice on Jan. 3 for an exhibition bout with the U.S. National Under-18 Team in Duluth.

Notes: Rookie defenseman Dan Molenaar notched his first collegiate point -- an assist on Decowski's goal  ... sophomore defenseman Derik Johnson blocked a Bulldog 2013-14 single-game high eight shots ... UMD has not allowed a power play goal in its last three games, going 12-for-12 on the penalty kill ... Justin Crandall paces the NCHC in power play goals with six .... Sophomore defenseman Andy Welinski (two assists) and Decowski (a goal and an assist) both had a multi-point outings along with Osterberg ... UMD is now 34-0-4 when it's scored four or more goals, a run that dates back to October 2011.