It took 105 seconds of extra work, but the University of Minnesota Duluth got the job done.

Parker Mackay's goal 1:45 into overtime lifted the Bulldogs to a 4-3 victory over the University of Minnesota Friday night in the semifinals of the Ice Breaker Tournament. With the win, which was UMD's eighth in a row over its long-time intrastate rivals (a program record), the Bulldogs advance to Saturday's championship game against Michigan Tech University, which downed Union College 6-3 in the other first-round clash.

A  revved up and standing room only AMSOIL Arena crowd of 7,203 saw the Bulldogs take their only lead of regulation 7:56 into the game when rookie defenseman Mikey Anderson one-timed a 5-on-3 power play shot from the right face off circle past Minnesota goaltender Eric Schierhorn. After a pair of second period goals put Minnesota up 2-1, sophomore left winger Riley Tufte, with the Bulldogs on the power play, banged home a rebound 23 seconds into the third only to see the Gophers answer just under three minutes later.

Mikey Anderson's older brother, sophomore right winger Joey Anderson, who ended the 2016-17 season riding a five-game scoring streak, beat Schierhorn with a nifty backhand at 3:49 of the the third to force the eventual overtime. Anderson was one of 10 Bulldogs to pick up one point and accounted for seven of the 44 shots UMD put on goal.  Sophomore goaltender Hunter Shepard, making just his second collegiate start and third overall appearance, finished with 21 saves for the Bulldogs, who went 2-for-6 on the power play and held Minnesota  to one goal in six man advantage opportunities.

"This was a good gut-check for us," said UMD head coach Scott Sandelin, whose Bulldogs are now unbeaten in 14 straight overtime games (7-0-7). "I thought our guys responded very well and and showed of character battling back. We were a hard team to play against tonight."




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