ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota Duluth followed a familiar script on Friday, riding the hot play of goaltender Alex Stalock to a 3-0 upset of North Dakota.
Stalock stopped 31 shots for his fourth shutout of the season, as the Bulldogs (20-12-8) advanced to the title game of the WCHA Final Five. More importantly, the win clinches a berth in the NCAA playoffs for the Bulldogs, who went 2-0-1 versus the Fighting Sioux this season.
North Dakota (24-13-4), which won the league's regular-season title, fell behind early and could not dig out of the hole, despite four consecutive power plays in the middle of the game.
A rookie mistake handed Minnesota Duluth an early lead via a short-handed goal, as North Dakota freshman goaltender Brad Eidsness left a loose puck unattended behind his net. MacGregor Sharp, the Bulldogs' top goal scorer, grabbed the puck and had slid it over the goal line before Eidsness could get back in position.
Less than three minutes later the Bulldogs went up 2-0 on a spin-around shot by defenseman Mike Montgomery. Then it was time for the special teams to take over. Minnesota Duluth was unable to add to its lead during a pair of power plays, but also kept the Sioux off the board during a five-minute stretch of the second period, after Bulldog defenseman Brady Lamb got a major penalty for kneeing.
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North Dakota's offense kicked into high gear late, as the Sioux peppered Stalock with 24 shots in the final 40 minutes. But they were unable to score, and Minnesota Duluth's Mike Connelly added an empty-net goal in the final minutes to seal the win.
The Bulldogs will be making their first-ever appearance in the tournament's title game on Saturday night when they face defending champion Denver. The Sioux will face Wisconsin for third place.
