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 Billy Collins recorded his first career hat trick in the win over the Chargers. |
March 12, 2004
Kearney, Neb. - The No. 6-seeded Wayne State University men's hockey team (9-23-3) continued its College Hockey America tournament winning streak with a 5-3 victory over the third-seeded Alabama-Huntsville Chargers (11-16-4).
The Warriors won the 2001, 2002 and 2003 CHA tournaments and extended their winning streak to eight games in league post-season play.
Junior center Billy Collins (Enderby, B.C./Prince George Spruce Kings), who had one goal in the previous 12 games, scored three times for his first collegiate hat trick. With the score tied at three after 40 minutes, Collins scored on a rebound of a Greg Poupard (Jackson, Mich./Waterloo Black Hawks) shot 6:14 into the third period for the game-winner. Collins completed his three-goal effort with an empty-net goal at the 19:52 mark to seal WSU's third playoff win over UAH in the four year's WSU has been a member of the conference.
UAH held a 15-6 advantage in shots on goal during the opening stanza, but the score was tied at one due to the strong goaltending of Warrior sophomore Matt Kelly (Hull, Mass./Topeka Scarecrows). Kelly made 14 stops in each of the first two periods, and turned aside all 12 UAH shots in the final stanza.
CHA co-Player of the Year Jared Ross from UAH opened the scoring 7:33 into the contest. WSU sophomore John May (Livonia, Mich./Springfield Jr. Blues) tied the score with 5:42 remaining in the first period off an assist from freshmen Mark Cannon (River Rouge, Mich./Compuware Ambassadors) and Matt Boldt (Burnsville, Minn./Billings Bulls).
Both teams scored twice in the middle period. Collins scored from Travis Rycroft (Penticton, B.C./Merritt Centennials) just 24 seconds into the period. Ross tied the game at the 8:00 mark. UAH regained the lead on a Craig Bushey power-play goal at the 13:14 mark, but the Warriors responded with Chris Vail's (Nashua, N.H./Vernon Vipers) fifth goal of the season at the 16:54 mark off assists from Nate Higgins (Calgary, Alb./Green Bay Gamblers) and Poupard.
Wayne State will now skate against the second-seeded Niagara University Purple Eagles (19-14-3) at 8:05 p.m. Eastern on Saturday in a CHA semifinal contest. The University of Findlay Oilers and the Bemidji State Beavers play in the first semifinal contest at 4:05 p.m.
