Hockey / Semifinal #1 Review: CUW is back in the Championship game with victory over Marian

Semifinal #1 Review: CUW is back in the Championship game with victory over Marian

Date:  Source: Northern Collegiate Hockey League
Semifinal #1 - #1 Concordia University WI defeats #5 Marian University to earn trip back to the finals:
Fast paced action was the name of the game once the puck dropped in semifinal #1 between Concordia University WI and Marian University. In the course of the first minute of play CUW and Marian University both had odd man rushes stymied by the goaltenders. Then, at 4:39, Charles Emme skated from one side of the offensive zone to the other at the top of the circles, while being harassed by the Marian defense, and let a shot go into the back of the net. A mistimed pinch by a Marian defenseman allowed Emme a breakaway chance he would not squander to give CUW a 2-0 lead at 8:22. The game’s first penalty came at 10:21, an interference penalty on Marian. Fifty two seconds into their man advantage Emme kept the hot hand and squeezed a wrister between Marian goaltender Tyler McArthur’s shoulder and the top left corner of the net from the left dot.
 
CUW increased their lead to four at 4:25 of the second period when Garrett Wilderman put home a bouncing puck from multiple rebounds in the crease. Marian found themselves back a man down at 9:22 but their penalty kill held strong and the score remained 4-0. Five on five action did not last long as at 12:39 CUW’s power play unit was back on the ice. After killing off their second straight penalty the Marian offense finally connected at 14:07. Scoring for Marian was DJ Horne with a shot into the top glove corner. Marian’s powerplay unit got their first chance in the game at 14:24. However, they were not able to get back within two.
 
Down three to start the third period Marian needed to get momentum on their side and 28 seconds in Tyler Studant hit a wide open net to cut the deficit to two. A roughing penalty on Rex Staudacher at 1:47 gave Marian a chance to get within one. Only 46 seconds would tick off before Gavyn Galloway went to the box for slashing, ending Marian’s man advantage. Thomas Cassel buried a feed from behind the net at 10:45 to put CUW up 5-2. Back to back penalties, one at 11:21 and the second at 12:04 put Marian on a 5-on-3. Marian penalties negated the 5-on-3. Then with 2:11 left in regulation CUW goaltender Ian Robertson misplayed the puck and Horne was able to sneak it into the net. Down two, Marian pulled McArthur with two minutes left for an extra attacker. An empty net goal by Cassel at 19:51 sealed the CUW victory and propelled them into their third finals appearance in four years.