Grad student Reece Hunt, a transfer from Bemidji State, peels off Beavers goalie Eva Filippova, who lost 2-0 despite her 42 saves. Photos by John Gilbert.       

Members of every college hockey conference like to talk about “parity,” and they all think their conference might be the best at it. But in the NCHC, they mean it! No better evidence is required than last weekend’s visit by Colorado College to AMSOIL Arena to face UMD in a series that could have elevated one ahead of the other in the middle of the NCHC pack.

Instead, the two teams split, with UMD capturing a 3-2 overtime victory Friday night, when Ben Steeves scored his 15th goal as the overtime game-winner 1:06 into OT, then CC getting the tying goal by Nicklas Andrews with 0:00.2 showing on the second-period clock, and then Noah Laba scoring CC’s game winner at 1:39 of overtime.

Colorado College had stopped off in Minneapolis to split a Sundy-Monday non conference series with the Gophers, and arrived in Duluth holding fifth place in the NCHC as a reward for Kris Mayotte’s rebuilding plan, while the Bulldogs were sixth.

Friday night’s victory boosted the Bulldogs into a three-way tie for fifth with CC and Omaha. One day later, CC had pulled off the overtime victory by an identical 3-2 score, and recaptured fifth place all alone, with sophomores scoring the OT winning goals for both sides.

The games also featured goaltending duels between UMD senior Zach Stejskal and CC sophomore Kaiden Mbereko.

In the first game, the Tigers came out snarling, outshooting and out-chancing UMD, but Stejskal kept his end of the scoreless bargain, and Mbereko did the same. In the second period UMD had the upper hand, and center Jack Smith’s goal at 4:42 gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead, as a reward for a 17-11 edge in shots.

At 2:23 of the third period, defenseman Owen Gallatin stepped in fri the point to find a screen and drilled a rising shot into the upper corner for a 2-0 lead. That looked sufficient for the Bulldogs, but CC’s Stanley Cooley stepped out from behind the net and stuffed a shot past Stejskal to cut the lead in half. Then with 1:45 remaining, Cooley placed himself in perfect position for a deflection goal that tied the game 2-2. In the 3-on-3, 5-minute overtime, The Tigers attacked, but the Bulldogs broke up the rush and came back the other way.

Freshman Matthew Perkins, elevated to centering the first line, carried into the Tigers zone an’s resident sniper is unquestioned. Stgeeves, a sophomore from Bedford, N.H., cut across the goal-mouth and beat Mbereko cleanly at 1:06 of the extra session, and UMD seemed to be rolling — responding well after blowing a 2-0 lead, and outshooting CC 36-35.

The next night, both coaches stayed with the same goaltenders, and once again UMD took a 1-0 lead this time on Carter Loney’s goal with 11 seconds left in the opening period. In the second period, Tyler Coffey tied it for CC with a goal at 2:02, prompting fourth-line winger Kyle Bettens to score the equalizer just 32 seconds later, retaking the lead at 2-1. Then it was time for Nicklas Andrews to tie the game from the point, with a shot that beat Stejskal and the clock, at 19:59, when only two tenths of a second remained. The teams battled through a scoreless third period and overtime, but CC won it at 1:39 of 3-on-3 overtime a when Noah Laba offset UMD’s opening 3-2 OT victory.

UMD sophomore Ben Steeves (6) signals his overtime game-winner in Friday's 3-2 victory over Colorado College. 

To show the rest of the NCHC follows the rules of parity too, Western Michigan split with Miami, Omaha surprised North Dakota with a split, and St. Cloud State dropped a 5-1 game at Denver before bouncing back to win in a shootout.

Both UMD-CC games were part of a celebratory weekend, with Friday’s dedicated to Make-A-Wish Foundation, fighting kids cancer, and Saturday night, both the UMD women’s and men’s games were part of the ceremonial tribute to Sophie’s Choice, a mental health foundation originated by UMD’s women’s star, Gabbie Hughes, who is now playing for the Ottawa plowmen’s team.

The UMD women made the best of the circumstances, playing Bemidji State through a tough first game Friday afternoon, when they had to work all three periods to impose their will for a 2-0 victory. Grace Sadura scored at 15:34 of the first period, deflecting in a shot from by right circle b Jenna Lawry. The Bulldogs got a break midway through the second period, when coach Maura Crowell protested a defected Bemidji State goal and winning the challenge to maintain their 1-0 lead.

That stood until Bemidji State coach Jimmy Scanlon pulled goalie Eva Filippova, a Russian native who has spent several seasons playing in North America before coming to Bemidji State as a freshman.

With the goal empty, UMD’s Hanna Baskin gained control behind her own goal line and, seemingly unconcerned,  slid a 185-foot shot into the open net with 1:21 remaining to cinch the 2-0 victory. Hailey MacLeod had 21 saves for her shutout, while Filippova had 42 saves — 18 in the third period.

The next night, it rained goals for UMD as the Bulldogs smothered Bemidji State 7-0. Reece Hunt, who transferred to UMD from Bemidji State for her final season, scored at 8:50 and 10:30 of the first period, then completed her hat trick with a gain at 8:50 off the second period to make it 3-0. Grace Sedura, Mannon McMahon and Danielle Burgen added second-period goals for a 6-0 cushion, and Danielle Brunette added one more at 4:41 of the third period to complete the 7-0 rout, At 10-6, UMD rises to fourth in the WCHA, behind Ohio State, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and leading St. Cloud State, Minnesota State-Mankato, Bemidi State and St. Thomas.

A full WCHA slate is coming up this weekend, with UMD at Ohio State, Wisconsin at Mankato, Minnesota at Bemidji State and St. Thomas at St. Cloud State. On the men’s side, UMD is at Western Michigan, Denver at Omaha, Miami at Colorado College, and the biggest series of the week — North Dakota at St. Cloud State.

Congratulations!

Hats off to Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who seemed stuck forever at 551 career victories through this troubling and slumping Wild season. He was sharp Monday Center Monday night, as the Wild broke loose to beat the New York Islanders 5-0 to give him victory No. 552 — boosting him past Patrick Roy, his childhood idle in Montreal, for the second most  NHL career victories behind only Richard Brodeur. It was a long time coming, but it was worth the wait.

UMD's Olivia Wallin couldn't get the puck past Bemidji State goaltender Eva Filippova.