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 Jared Katz scored the game-winning goal at RMU on Saturday. |
March 3, 2007
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Wayne State men's hockey team (12-20-2, 8-10-2 CHA) earned a 5-4 victory at Robert Morris (13-18-2, 9-10-1 CHA) on Saturday night, clinching fourth place in College Hockey America and ending its regular season on a seven-game unbeaten streak.
Jared Katz (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Baystate Breakers) netted the game-winner in the third period after Robert Morris erased a three-goal deficit to tie the game.
Wayne State's Stavros Paskaris (Dearborn, Mich./Kewadin Indians) and RMU's Tom Biondich each scored twice in the game, and WSU netminder Brett Bothwell (Red Deer, Alb./Yorkton Terriers) finished with 30 saves for his eighth victory of the season.
Nate Higgins (Calgary, Alb./Green Bay Gamblers) put Wayne State on the board at 12:25 with his third goal of the series and 13th of the season. Dan Iliakis (Scarborough, Ont./Georgetown Raiders) sent a pass up to Matt Boldt (Burnsville, Minn./Billings Bulls), who was charging up the right boards on a two-on-one with Higgins. Boldt's centering pass found its target, and Higgins put a one-timer past RMU goaltender Joe Tuset.
Moments after a penalty to Wayne State expired, a scramble in front of Bothwell for a loose puck ultimately resulted in Robert Morris tying the game, as Biondich finished the play with his fourth tally of the year at 15:45. Brett Hopfe and Joel Gasper assisted on the play.
The Warriors regained their one-goal lead on a power-play marker by Paskaris with 35 seconds remaining in the opening period. Ryan Bernardi (Etobicoke, Ont./Milton Icehawks) connected with Jason Bloomingburg (Canton, Mich./Texas Tornado) low to Tuset's left, and the senior co-captain was able to center the puck through traffic to Paskaris for the shot.
At the 14:05 mark of the middle stanza, Paskaris put the visitors up by a pair, firing an off-balance wrist shot from between the circles off helpers from Jon Grabarek (Sterling Hts./Mich./Cedar Rapids RoughRiders) and Mark Cannon (River Rouge, Mich./Compuware Ambassadors).
Two-and-a-half minutes later, Tylor Michel (Sudbury, Ont./Owen Sound Greys) successfully redirected a long-range shot from Iliakis to give Wayne State a 4-1 lead, with an additional assist from Jeff Caister (Mississauga, Ont./Milton Icehawks).
That lead would be short-lived, however, as the Colonials scored three unanswered goals in a span of 1:30 to tie the game.
A power-play tally by Biondich put Robert Morris back within two at 19:38 of the second period, and just 13 seconds into the final period, Ryan Cruthers narrowed RMU's deficit to 4-3 with his 14th goal of the season.
The Colonials tied the score at four when Conley's wrist shot sailed over the right shoulder of Bothwell at the 1:08 mark.
The game-winning play started with a pass in the defensive zone from Boldt to Mark Nebus (South Lyon, Mich./Texas Tornado), who skated up and found Katz open. Katz tucked in a backhand shot just inside the left post to put Wayne State ahead, 5-4, with 16:30 left in regulation.
Robert Morris pulled Tuset for an extra attacker in the final 87 seconds but could not get the equalizer.
Shots on goal were 34-28 in favor of Robert Morris, but the Colonials managed just one power-play goal in five chances. Wayne State scored twice on four power-play opportunities.
Wayne State will face Alabama-Huntsville in the first round of the College Hockey America Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa on Friday, March 9 at 8:00 p.m. The winner will battle CHA regular-season champion Niagara on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.
