Todd D. Milewski

North Dakota took the penultimate step toward defending its NCAA championship Thursday afternoon, defeating number-one Michigan State 2-0 behind Karl Goehring’s solid netminding.

In a rough-and-tumble affair, Michigan State dominated the Badgers to return to the Frozen Four. The Spartans, No. 1 most of the season, avoided the fate Wisconsin suffered last year, when it was No. 1 most of the year, went in as the bye team, but lost in the first round of the NCAAs. It was another disappointment for the Badgers.

Wisconsin was a top seed last year, but lost its only tournament game. This year, the Badgers are not entering as the favorites, but gained some needed momentum with a 4-1 win over Providence in a first-round game at Grand Rapids, setting up a date with this year’s top team, Michigan State.

Derek Eastman’s controversial goal in overtime gave St. Cloud its first WCHA title of any kind, a 6-5 win over North Dakota that nullified the Sioux’s three-goal comeback to earn the Huskies the WCHA Final Five championship.

The game no one seemingly wanted to play turned out quite all right after all. A spirited contest ended with Justin Morrison’s third-period winner as Colorado College edged Minnesota, 5-4.

North Dakota advanced to the WCHA championship game despite a season low in shots, thanks to Karl Goehring’s netminding and Jason Notermann’s game-winner.

Who said Tyler Arnason’s slap shot couldn’t tear through twine? St. Cloud State’s WCHA Final Five semifinal game against Minnesota on Friday, the battle for a first-round bye in the NCAA tournament, wasn’t the contest most expected. And no one could have expected the kind of goal that put it away for the Huskies. That’s … Read more

WCHA Rookie of the Year Peter Sejna sent former Rookie of the Year Dany Heatley and his Wisconsin teammates packing on Thursday with a last-minute goal. Sejna’s CC Tigers advance to Friday’s semifinal against North Dakota.