GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Having lost again on a Friday night after failing to hold a lead, and with home ice on the line, North Dakota came out and played desperate hockey Saturday. Grant Mismash put North Dakota up with a power-play goal early, getting a deflected puck at the top of the slot and snapping a shot just inside the right post at the five-minute mark of the period. Rhett Gardner made it 2-0 at 14:49 of the second with a power-play goal, beating Dávid Hrenák top shelf glove side with a quick shot from the left side of the slot. However, St. Cloud got one back early in a third with a power-play goal, as Ryan Poehling got to the slot in between the hashmarks and kept his stick down to redirect a shot by Robby Jackson low glove side at 2:42. Jacob Benson tied it at 9:22 of the third with a beautiful snap shot top corner stick side from the left-side hashmarks of the right circle. Neither team could score in the first overtime, so the game is officially recorded as a tie. With that point, North Dakota clinched home ice for the first round of the NCHC playoffs, and will host Omaha. Gardner scored at 4:14 of the second OT when he was sent in alone off a nice pass by Christian Wolanin and beat Hrenák with a quick backhand top corner glove side to send the North Dakota fans home happy.
