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Francis Caps Rally
With Third Period Game-Winner
Box Score
Dan Francis finished off
UW-Stevens Point's comeback from a two-goal deficit by scoring with 9:04 left in
the third period as the Pointers defeated eighth-ranked St. Thomas 5-3 on
Saturday at Willett Arena.
The Pointers trailed 3-1 midway
through the second period before Shane Foster and Russel Law scored goals less
than a minute apart to tie the game. The Pointers fought off two shorthanded
situations in the third period before Francis scored just 27 seconds after
killing off the second penalty. UW-Stevens Point is now 2-0 overall, while St.
Thomas is 1-1.
Nick Zebro assisted the
game-winning score, feeding Francis for the goal on a two-on-one break.
UW-Stevens Point committed another penalty with 44 seconds left and the Tommies
pulled the goalie for a six-on-four advantage, however, Sean Fish sealed the
game with a shorthanded empty net goal from center ice with four seconds left.
Fish also scored the Pointers'
first goal that tied the game midway through the first period. St. Thomas added
another goal later in the period for a 2-1 lead and then went ahead 3-1 when
Nick Pernula scored his second goal of the game at the 3:06 mark of the second
period.
Marcus Paulson saved 23 shots for
the Pointers, who outshot the Tommies 36-26 for the game. After combining for 11
penalties in an extremely physical first period, the two teams had just eight
whistles the remainder of the game.
It is the second straight year the
Pointers have won a tight game over a nationally-ranked Tommies squad, beating
them 3-2 last year in St. Paul. |
