FRIDAY ROUNDUP: No. 2 Quinnipiac blanks No. 8 Harvard, 3-0; St. Thomas shocks No. 13 Minnesota State, 3-2; UNH upsets No. 15 Merrimack, 3-2; No. 10 Western Michigan gets OT win over UMD

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Skyler Brind’Amour scored the only goal that Quinnipiac needed on Friday, as the No. 2 Bobcats skated to a 3-0 victory over No. 8 Harvard (File photo: Rob Rasmussen/Quinnipiac Athletics)

It was billed as the game of the weekend with No. 2 Quinnipiac traveling to No. 8 Harvard. But in the end, Quinnipiac’s stifling defense was too much of rate Crimson as Skylar Brind’Amour’s game early the second was all the Bobcats needed in a 3-0 shutout.

The Bobcats sweep the season series of Harvard and send the Crimson into Monday’s Beanpot on a losing note.

Brind’Amour scored on the power play 53 second into the middle frame. Christophe Fillion then tallied an insurance marker midway through the third. TJ Friedmann scored into an empty net with four seconds remaining.

Yaniv Perets stopped all 25 shots he faced as the Bobcats penalty kill held Harvard scoreless in three power play opportunities.

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St. Thomas 3, No. 13 Minnesota State 2 (OT)

First-place Minnesota State suffered an overtime loss at the hands of upstart St. Thomas, 3-2, as Mack Byers tallied 57 seconds into the 3-on-3 extra session. Combined with Michigan Tech’s win over Bemidji State, 2-0, the Mavericks lead in the CCHA has slipped to just a single point as each team has just five regular-season games remaining.

The Tommies scored a late third-period goal to force overtime as Luc Laylin tallied on a two-man advantage with 2:29 remaining.

It was Laylin’s second goal of the game after he opened the scoring in the first period also on the power play.

Minnesota State fought back with two third-period goals by Andy Carroll and Christian Fitzgerald just 1:12 apart. But it was the Tommies who had the fleer for the dramatic, pulling off the win in the opener of the two-game series.

New Hampshire 3, No. 15 Merrimack 2 (OT)

Damian Carfagna’s goal at 1:19 of overtime gave host UNH a 3-2 upset of No. 15 Merrimack. It is the fourth win in six games for the Wildcats.

UNH never trailed, jumping to a 2-0 lead on first-period goals by Nikolai Jenson and Stiven Sardarian. But the Warriors rallied. Alex Jefferies pulled within a goal with 12 seconds remaining in the second. And Filip Forsmark found the equalizer on the power play at 8:43 of the third.

But Carfagna’s third goal of the season sent the fans – and Wildcat players – home happy as David Fessenden earned the victory making 29 saves.

No. 10 Western Michigan 3, Minnesota Duluth 2 (OT)

Max Sasson poked home the rebound of his own shot 2:17 into overtime as Western Michigan survived a late comeback by host Minnesota Duluth, winning 3-2.

Sasson’s goal prevented Western Michigan from falling victim to the Bulldogs in Duluth. A weekend ago, Minnesota Duluth earned a home sweep of then-No. 1 St. Cloud State.

The Broncos never trailed, jumping to a lead on Jason Polin’s nation’s best 24th goal of the season. But Minnesota Duluth was pesky all night. Ben Steeves tied the scored at 12:19 of the first. And after Luke Grainger gave Western Michigan a 2-1 lead in the second, Quinn Olson netted the equalizer with 1:00 remaining.

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