Penn State rolls over Union in Midwest Regional

By Staff, News Services

March 26, 2017 at 3:28AM
Union goalie Alex Sakellaropoulos, left, stands up as Penn State's Chase Berger and his teammates celebrate his goal during the first period in the regional semifinals of the NCAA college hockey tournament, Saturday, March 25, 2017, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Union goalie Alex Sakellaropoulos, left, could only watch as Penn State players celebrated Chase Berger’s first goal. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Penn State, the nation's second-highest scoring team going into the playoffs, scored the final seven goals in a 10-3 rout over Union in a semifinal game of the Midwest Regional at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati.

Chase Berger broke a 3-all tie for the Nittany Lions (25-11-2) with his second goal of the game at 9 minutes, 35 seconds of the middle period. Teammate Dylan Richard made it 5-3 at 14:13.

Any comeback hopes the Dutchmen (25-10-3) had were dashed early in the third when Penn State scored three more times in the first eight minutes. Nate Sucese and Denis Smirnov got even-strength goals and Nikita Pavlychev added a power-play goal.

Denver 5, Michigan Tech 2: The Pioneers (30-7-4) looked like the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament in the opening period, taking a 4-0 lead in the first semifinal of the Midwest Regional.

Colin Staub, a sophomore forward from Colorado Springs, had two power-play goals in the period and Emil Romig and Will Butcher had the other two goals. The four goals in the first period tied a Midwest Regional record.

Tyson McLellan made it 5-0 Denver at 6:26 of the second. Michigan Tech (23-15-7), which got an automatic NCAA tournament berth by winning the WCHA tournament, staged a bit of a rally late later in the middle period with two goals. Gavin Gould got the Huskies' first goal on a power-play at 14:04 and, with five second left in the period, Jake Lucchini scored.

East final

Harvard 3, Air Force 2: The Crimson (28-5-2) took a 3-0 lead midway through the second period and weathered a Falcons' comeback to win the East Regional at Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. Tyler Moy's power-play goal made it 3-0 at 9:50 of the second. Only 1:33 later, Brady Tomlak scored for Air Force (27-10-5) and, 15 seconds after that, teammate Jordan Himley got a power-play goal.

Air Force's Tyler Ledford (13) shoots on Harvard goalie Merrick Madsen (31) during the first period of an NCAA regional men's college hockey tournament game, Saturday, March 25, 2017 in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
Air Force’s Tyler Ledford, right, tried to stuff the puck past Harvard goalie Merrick Madsen during the East Regional final. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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Staff, News Services