It was everything University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey fans could have wanted in a National Collegiate Hockey Conference Quarterfinal Friday night in Tempe, Arizona – everything but a Bulldog win.
No. 12 Arizona State University snuck out of Mullet Arena with a 4-3 game one win in a game that was as equal as the regular season proved to be between the two sides. The two squads have now played four-straight games with the winner decided by a single goal, and like every game this season, it was a fast-paced, high scoring back and forth affair.
The Sun Devils jumped out to a 2-0 lead after scoring goals less than three minutes apart at 3:51 and 6:44. But the Bulldogs cut that lead at the 12:37 mark on Max Plante's fourth goal against ASU this season, a quick wrist shot from the slot to pull UMD within one.
Senior center Dominic James pulled the game into a 2-2 draw midway through the second period with a net drive that ended in a stop and pop for his 13th goal of the season. 51 seconds later, however, the Sun Devils tacked on a third goal, this time from Bennett Schimek at 11:20.
Not to be outdone by his younger brother, Zam Plante helped UMD pull even at 3-3, one-timing a pass from the bottom of the left circle from Owen Gallatin at 16:28.
The third period started as a clean state for both squads, and if anything, an advantage for the Bulldogs, who had outshot the Sun Devils 21-15, but ASU's Anthony Dowd scored the eventual game-winner at the 5:39 mark and would hold on to take game one of the quarterfinal series.
Adam Gajan faced the Sun Devils for the first time this season and had 19 saves, while ASU goaltender Luke Pavicich had 28. Neither team landed a power play goal – UMD went 0-of-2 and the Sun Devils, who were outshot by UMD 31-22, were 0-of-1.
UMD (13-19-3) and ASU (20-13-2) will do it all over again tomorrow night with a 8:00 p.m. CT puck drop at Mullet Arena.
BULLDOG NOTES: Max Plante has now notched a point in all five games he's skated in against ASU this season … Friday was Plane's second contest against the Sun Devils with two points … in all, Plante has four goals and three assists for seven points in five games … Zam Plate also had a goal and an assist for the Bulldogs in the skate.
