STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — It took almost 80 minutes for the UW-Stevens Point men’s hockey team to secure the Division 3 championship.
It was a slow start for both teams in the NCAA Division 3 Men’s Ice Hockey Championship at K.B. Willett Arena. The Pointers faced the Norwich University Cadets for the championship game after the Cadets beat SUNY Geneseo and UWSP beat Hobart in the semifinals.
It was a hard defensive battle through the first two periods as goalies Tom Aubrun (Norwich) and Connor Ryckman (Stevens Point) kept the game scoreless. But the tempo picked up in the 3rd period as freshman defenseman Jordan Fader buried the first goal for Stevens Point 3 minutes into the period.
UWSP built on their lead a mear minute later when sophomore forward Colin Raver shook off his defenseman in front of the net and walked the puck in behind Aubrun’s left pad. The Pointers held onto their 2 goal lead for 2 and a half minutes before the Cadets were able to end their scoreless drought.
Cadets sophomore forward Coby Downs kept with a rebound in front of Ryckman and put the puck over his right pad. Downs then tied the game up for the Cadets five minutes later by faking out Ryckman, going right to left.
The game remained tied through the 3rd frame, taking the championship into overtime. Senior forward and Captain Tanner Karty describes the team’s mindset heading into the overtime period after losing a two-goal lead.
“One shot after that. I mean we knew they were going to come so we knew they weren’t just going to kind of keel over and give it to us. So we expected a push, they had a great push obviously tied it up forced overtime. We were pressuring them all game right, and they got two good bounces and they capitalized. Other than that it was us the majority of the game. I think it was just kind of keep going don’t let off the gas pedal and keep pushing.”
UWSP kept the pressure on throughout the overtime frame, getting look after look in front of the net. Sophomore defenseman Steven Quagliata had the overtime game-winner off a wrist shot from a blue line pass from senior Stephan Beauvais.
Quagliata describes what he saw for the goal. “I never would have thought it would have been me. But you know I got my opportunity luckily he went down onto his knees and I ended up finding the corner. But you know for me in overtime goal as a defenseman, not likely. But yeah that’s one I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
Quagliata said it was a blackout moment for him but that it was a special moment to remember for him. Beauvais talks through where he was for the overtime goal on the ice. “I saw him pull and just score that one. I saw him go nuts and just I think instinctively my hands just went flying and threw the helmet and gloves. I think they’re still in the air, land in Wausau. It was unbelievable.”
And Karty explained he was trying to recover from a blowout during the goal. “For me, I was trying to get back on sides and I blew an edge and fell. So I was at about the neutral zone red line and I look up and I see a puck go in. I don’t think I’ve ever got up that fast in my life.”
What made the win even more special for the program was being able to win their first championship on home ice. Head Coach Tyler Krueger said ending the season unbeaten was a nice bonus, but that winning at home was what mattered most.
“It was nothing we even thought about talked about or cared about. We just wanted to win it here for our fans in front of them. You can see the community and how they embraced it. And that was our goal all year long to have it here and have an opportunity to win it. But the undefeated thing is just an extra carrot on top that will go down in history. But that game and this season and this weekend will go down in this town for years.”
Beauvais said the team couldn’t have scripted a better ending to their season by winning at home. “The best ever. I mean you couldn’t have scripted a better ending to our senior year, a better ending for this team to win it at home in front of our crazy fans. Their loud and screaming and it was so crazy. And you know to do it for our city, for our students, for you know everybody who supported our team. Everybody in this town rallies around this program and a special feeling to be able to win it for them tonight.”
Coach Krueger says the win at home is something special for the program and its history. “We’ve been fortunate enough to go to the last six Frozen Fours. We’ve been to Lake Placid twice, we’ve been to Maine, been to Minneapolis a predetermined site. And it’s a cool experience but I mean I think this is kind of what it’s all about. I think this is what everybody wants. I think you want to play in front of this type of atmosphere for this type of game. And it was everything we could have hoped for us and more.”
With the win, the Pointers secured their 6th NCAA Division 3 Ice Hockey Championship (1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2016, 2019). They also become the first program to win the national championship with an undefeated season. Individual players also racked up several honors including Karty being named Most Outstanding Player of the Championship. Goalie Connor Ryckman and forward Colin Raver also earned all-tournament team honors.
The team graduates 6 seniors, including Captains Tanner Karty and Stephan Beauvais along with defensemen Ryan Bittner and Ethan Strong, and forwards B.J. Duffin, and TJ Roo. The Pointers ended the season with a record of 29-0-2.
