GRAND FORKS — Western Michigan forward Alex Bump scored a power-play goal in overtime to give Western Michigan a 3-2 victory in the series opener. It was Bump’s second goal of the game. Dylan James and Carter Wilkie scored the goals for UND.
First star: Alex Bump, WMU, 2 goals.
Second star: Cameron Rowe, WMU, 29 saves.
Third star: Dylan James, UND, goal.
UND 1, WMU 0 — Dylan James 7 (Abram Wiebe, Jackson Kunz) 1:33 p.m. Wiebe makes a stretch pass to send James on a breakaway. The puck jumps to James, so he takes a swing earlier than usual, but he puts it over the glove of Western Michigan goaltender Cameron Rowe.
UND 1, WMU 1 —Liam Valente 8 (Zach Nehring, Brian Kramer) 1:36. Western Michigan pushes to start the second and is rewarded. Valente finds a bouncing puck in the slot, turns and fires it just inside the post to tie the game.
UND 2, WMU 1 — Carter Wilkie 4 (Mac Swanson) 2:06. Swanson forces Western Michigan’s Garrett Szydlowski to turn the puck over at the blue line, catches the puck and feeds Wilkie into the slot. Wilkie takes the corner of the net with Ben Strinden driving the net.
UND 2, WMU 2 —Alex Bump 6 (Owen Michaels) 2:46. The Broncos respond just 40 seconds later as Michaels pulls a puck off the wall and finds Bump open in the slot. Hit the five-hole once on Hobie Hedquist.
UGF 3, UND 2 — Alex Bump 7 (Joona Vaisanen, Samuel Sjolund): 14 (pp). Western Michigan has a 22-second power play to start overtime and the Broncos take advantage. Bump collects the puck at the top of the left circle and shoots it through a screen to win it.
Attackers
7 Mac Swanson—14 Cameron Berg—18 Jayden Perron
26 Dylan James—9 Sacha Boisvert—29 Jackson Kunz
22 Owen McLaughlin—15 Carter Wilkie—21 Ben Strinden
20 Cade Littler—8 Jake Schmaltz—27 Louis Jamernik V
Defenders
13 Caleb MacDonald—6 EJ Emery
3Jayden Jubenvill—25 Abram Wiebe
16Andrew Strathmann—4Jake Livanavage
5 Danish Montgomery
Goalkeepers
30 Hobie Hedquist
35 TJ Semptimphelter
33 Aleksi Huson
Not in alignment: F Cody Croal, F Dalton Andrew, D Tanner Komzak, D Bennett Zmolek (inj), G Kaleb Johnson (inj)
Attackers
20 Alex Bump—25 Matteo Costantini—34 Owen Michaels
23 Liam Valente—13 Grant Slukynsky—8 Zach Nehring
22 Iiro Hakkarainen—16 Tim Washe—29 Tristan Lemyre
17 Ty Henricks—19 Cam Knuble—24 Garrett Szydlowski
11 Ethan Wolthers
Defenders
33 Sam Sjolund—27 Joona Vaisanen
14 Brian Kramer—3 Cole Crusberg-Roseen
10 Zack Sharp—4 Robby Drazner
6Jack Mesic
Goalkeepers
31Cameron Rowe
30 Hampton Slukynski
Not in alignment: F Wyatt Schingoethe, F Ean Somoza, F Zach Bade, F Connor Brown, F Ryan Humphrey, F Ryan Kusler, D Grady Gallatin, G Kirk Laursen
Referees — Ryan Hersey and Stephen Reneau
Linesmen — Tyler Liffrig and Daniel Naylor
Supervisor — Ron Foyt
UND has no roster changes from Saturday in Tempe. Western Michigan dresses an extra for warmups and will have a late scratch. . . UND and Western Michigan are tied for first place in the NCHC, but the Broncos have played two fewer games. . . All four of the Broncos’ losses have come against top 10 teams. . UND is 7-2-1 in the last 10 games. . . Western Michigan has the third-ranked defense (1.89 goals allowed per game) and second-ranked penalty kill (91.5%) in the country. . . UND’s power play ranks ninth (25.8%). . . Sacha Boisvert has 11 points in the last 11 games.
Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been recognized four times by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the top writer in the Herald’s broadcast division and twice as Dakota Sports Writer of the Year from the North. He resides in Grand Forks. Contact him at bschlossman@gfherald.com.
