Liam Valente scored 3:26 into overtime to give No. 4 Western Michigan a 2-1 victory over Colorado College Saturday night and clinch the best-of-three NCHC quarterfinal series.
The Broncos (26-9-1) took advantage after CC's
Mateo Mrsic was called for a 5-minute slewfooting penalty at the 3:09 mark of the extra period. Valente took a crossing pass from Grant Slukynsky at the right circle and beat CC goalie
Jackson Unger for the power-play goal 17 seconds later.
The season comes to an end for Colorado College, which finished with a 13-17-6 overall record.
The Tigers were hopping right out of the gate, collecting the first eight shots of the game. They also scored the first goal of the game at the 9:17 mark of the opening frame when
Klavs Veinbergs notched CC's first shorthanded goal of the season. He completed a 2-on-1 rush after taking a pass from
Gavin Lindberg and beating WMU goalie Hampton Slukynsky.
Unger, who made his sixth career start Saturday in place of senior
Kaidan Mbereko, who exited Friday contest early in the third period, made 13 saves in the first period, including a clean breakaway against Zach Nehring just minutes before Veinbergs' team-leading 11
th goal.
Unger needed to make just seven saves in a scoreless second period and was aided by a pipe that Nehring hit with five minutes remaining in the frame.
Owen Michaels tied it at 1-1 at the 11:39 mark of the third period. Ty Henricks sent a pass from behind the net to Michaels, who placed a shot from the slot over Unger's right shoulder, setting up the 13
th overtime game for CC this season.
Unger finished with 32 saves, while Hampton Slukynsky made 33, as each team put 34 shots on target Saturday. The Broncos (26-9-1) were 1-for-3 on the power play and CC was 0-for-2.
