In one of the most nerve-racking games of the year, the UND men’s hockey team scored a last minute goal against NCHC rival Denver to advance to the NCAA National Championship game.

Thursday’s game started at the breakneck pace fans had come to expect from the Pacific Rim line and the CBS line, two of the nation’s top rotations.

Both the Fighting Hawks and the Pioneers were flying up and down the ice and had many prime scoring chances. Luckily for UND, goaltender Cam Johnson came to play. There were many times Denver could have found the back of the net, but Johnson was able to make quality save after quality save with a lot of help from his defenders.

“I think we all had a common goal in mind that we wanted to win that game,” Johnson said. “Denver is a team we’ve played five times. We knew what was coming at us and obviously that stuck in our mind. I thought we did a great job of shutting them down and playing defensively and that was huge for us.”

By the end of the game, UND players had blocked a total of 27 shots, which was four more shots than Johnson had faced all night.

While the Hawks’ defense was clutch in the first period, it was the offense that finally shined through in the second.

The CBS line was masterful in the second period, highlighted by UND forward Drake Caggiula’s two goals. The senior’s first goal was the product of a beautiful pass by fellow line mate Brock Boeser, as he found Caggiula all alone on the left side of the net to make the score 1-0.

The 2-0 lead came after Caggiula had stolen the puck from a DU player and blew it by Pioneer goaltender Tanner Jaillet.

“I was hiding behind some of the players in the high slot there and was able to pick a pocket out of a Denver player and made a quick move around the guy and tried to get it in the net as quick as possible” Caggiula said. “I think it went under his glove.”

Up 2-0 after the second period, the Championship game was in UND’s sights.

There is a reason a two-goal lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey.

Denver was not done yet.

At around three minutes into the third period, Denver forward Will Butcher was able to get the Pioneers on the board and move the score to a manageable 2-1.

Then, at about the midway point in the third, everything seemed to be unraveling for the UND fans.

Grand Forks native Matt VanVoorhis was able to bounce a puck off UND captain Gage Ausmus’ stick to tie the game at 2-2.

“Being two goals up, you’re playing against a good team,” UND coach Brad Berry said. “They’re going to make plays. The first goal on a faceoff play, they made a nice play to score. If you stop making plays, that’s what happens. It’s a learning lesson for us tonight going forward that you have to keep the foot on the gas and keep making plays.”

UND fans inside the arena were in shock, as the possibility of losing three straight NCAA Final Fours was just one goal away from being a reality. The Hawks, who have gone haven’t won a Final Four in their last six appearances, started to worry that history was going to repeat itself.

While Denver was gaining the momentum, in came the CBS line with around a minute to play and the tension mounting.

After a UND faceoff win, Boeser was able to quickly throw the puck at the net. While Jaillet was able to fight the puck off, UND forward Nick Schmaltz was able to coral the rebound and backhand the puck into the net giving the Hawks a 3-2 lead.

“We went out there and made a play and won the game,” Schmaltz said.

Rhett Gardner was able to put the nail in the coffin with an empty net goal for the for the 4-2 UND win.

For the first time since 2005, the Fighting Hawks are on the way to the National Title game against the Quinnipiac Bobcats.

“Our last checked box was to play in the last game on April 9th here in Tampa Bay,” Berry said. “And we want to check off that box with a win.

Alex Stadnik is the sports editor for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected]