STEVENS POINT, Wis. – WSAU
A capacity crowd at K.B. Willett Arena saw the No. 6 UW-Stevens Point men’s hockey team (20-5-4) earn a 2-1 win over No. 15 Augsburg (16-10-2) in the fourth overtime, the second longest Division III game ever. The Pointers also set a program record by firing 74 shots on goal, the highest single game total in school history.
In the first period, the visiting Auggies got on the board first at the 13:11 mark. Erik Palmqvist tallied on the power play, just the sixth power-play goal the Pointers have allowed all season.
The Pointers pulled even on a Cody Moline (North Branch, Minn./) goal at 9:45 of the second period. His fifth of the season was assisted on by Mick Heneghan (Niles, Ill./) and David Hill (Glen Mills, Pa./).
From there, both UWSP goaltender Ryan Wagner (Indianapolis, Ind./) and Augsburg goaltender Samuel Vyletelka put on a clinic. Vyletelka made 13 saves in the third period, Wagner four and the game headed to overtime.
In the first overtime, Wagner stopped eight shots, including a breakaway save just 3:44 into the first overtime. Vyletelka had seven saves to send the game to the second OT.
UWSP out-shot the Auggies, 12-5, in the second overtime to no avail for either team sending the game to a third overtime, the longest game in UWSP history at that point.
Things were fairly even in the third overtime with both goaltenders making 11 saves pushing the game to a fourth overtime tied at 1-1.
As the first minute elapsed, the game reached the second-longest in DIII history and yet the game continued. Wagner made four saves in the fourth overtime as did Vyletelka, but on his fourth save he left a rebound. Hill swooped in and fired a shot past him for the game winner at 9:28 of the fourth overtime. Moline and Isaac Moberg (St. Paul, Minn./) had assists on the play.
Wagner made 47 saves to earn the win, a career high for the senior. Vyletelka made 72 saves, the most ever by a UWSP opponent.
The Pointers advance to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals at No. 3 Adrian on Saturday (March 18). Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. ET. Ticket information will be published on Monday on athletics.uwsp.edu.
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