Box Score | Updated Stats | Highlights | Saturday's Game Notes

Top-ranked North Dakota won the first game of the NCHC quarterfinal series with Colorado College, 5-1, Friday night at Ralph Engelstad Arena. Zane McIntyre made 22 saves as UND improved to 26-7-3 this season.
 
North Dakota survived a flurry of shots in the first couple of minutes as CC's Scott Wamsganz hit the post in the first minute and McIntyre stoned Hunter Fejes on a breakaway and Sam Rothstein on a wraparound later in the period.
 
Brendan O'Donnell broke a scoreless tie with a one-timer from the slot on the power-play 8:01 into the contest that snuck past CC goalie Tyler Marble. Nick Mattson and Paul LaDue assisted on O'Donnell's 12^th goal of the season.
 
McIntyre came up big in the second period with 12 saves as UND stretched its lead to 3-0 after 40 minutes. Nick Mattson made it a 2-0 game with 5:02 left in the second with a slap shot from the top of the left circle that sailed over Marble's right shoulder. Connor Gaarder put home an insurance goal as he knocked in a rebound with 3.9 seconds left in the period.
 
"We had some good chances to score tonight," CC head coach Mike Haviland said. "When we gave up the goal in the last minute of the second period, we gave them all the momentum heading into the third."
 
CC's Matt Hansen cut the lead to 3-1 with his third goal in as many games at the 2:14 mark of the third period. Hansen gathered his own rebound and placed a shot from the high slot past a screened McIntyre. The two-goal deficit became three again less than two minutes later as Marble was screened when Paul LaDue sent a wrister from the right point into the net.
 
Tucker Poolman made it 5-1 at the 7:07 mark of the third when his shot from the right point deflected off a CC defender and Marble's stick into the net. Freshman Chase Perry relieved Marble after Poolman's goal. Marble finished with 21 saves while Perry made 10 in just under 13 minutes of action.
 
Colorado College (6-25-3) was blanked on the power play (0-4) for the second straight game, while UND was 1-for-3. North Dakota's Luke Johnson led all players with six shots, followed by Gaarder with five. Rothstein had a team-high four shots for CC. 
 
The two teams will battle in game two of the best-of-three series Saturday, March 14, beginning at 7:08 pm (CT).