Western Michigan University did something Friday night that no other team had been able to do in four seasons -- pull out a victory over the University of Minnesota Duluthafter trailing at the second intermission.

The Broncos accomplished that rare feat by scoring a pair of unanswered goals in the third period, including the game-winner with just 9.9 seconds to go in regulation, en route to a 3-2 National Collegiate Hockey Conference victory in Kalamazoo, MIch. Coming into the weekend series, UMD was an eye-popping 63-0-3 the last 66 times it had led entering the third period since falling to the University of Denver 4-3 in the NCHC playoffs back on March 13, 2015.

Western Michigan, which went 1-5-0 against the Bulldogs one year ago and got outscored 24-6 in the process, drew first blood 3:39 into the first period on Ethen Frank's snipe. No. 4 UMD got the equalizer with 1:08 to go in that same period when sophomore defenseman Matt Anderson, positioned near the far edge of the left faceoff circle, threw a puck on net that found its way through a bit of traffic and onto the stick of rookie Jesse Jacques, who then rapped in his first collegiate goal. The Bulldogs (10-4-1 overall and 4-3-0-0 in NCHC) went up 2-1 at the 17:17 mark of the second period after sophomore defenseman Mikey Anderson fired a shot from the point that ricocheted off the end boards and into the slot where sophomore center Justin Richards promptly deposited the loose puck past Western Michigan netminder Trevor Gorsuch. Fifty-five seconds into the third period, Hugh McGing roofed in a backhand and that 2-2 deadlock stood for nearly 19 minutes before Colt Conrad's sealed the victory for Western Michigan (9-6-0; 4-3-0-0).

UMD outshot the Broncos 31-23 as junior Hunter Shepard, the reigning NCHC Goaltender of the Month, made 20 saves in his 55th consecutive start. The Bulldogs, who ranked first in the country in penalty killing efficiency (.924), held Western Michigan scoreless on all four of its power play opportunities, but was 0-for-5 with the man advantage themselves.

UMD  started the game without two of its minutes-munching forwards -- senior right winger Parker Mackay and sophomore right winger Nick Swaney -- in the lineup due to injuries and lost first-line senior center Peter Krieger to an injury in the second period.

The two teams will meet against Saturday at the Lawson Ice Arena in their final NCHC activity of 2018.