Broncos fall against Bulldogs in second round of conference tournament

Western Herald - sports









The Western Michigan University Broncos hockey team fell to the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs 5-2 Friday night in the second round of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference tournament.











“This was a battle. It was a 5-2 game, but it was a battle,” head coach Andy Murray told reporters in the post-game press conference.






The Bulldogs would strike first on the power play. Senior forward Dominic Toninato found the back of the net to give his team a 1-0 lead. Senior defenseman Taylor Fleming would tie the game up after causing a turnover in front of the Bulldogs net and going top shelf against freshman goaltender Hunter Miska. The Bulldogs battled back and took the lead late in the period. Freshman defenseman Jarod Hilderman fired a shot from the point which would find its way to the stick of senior forward Kyle Osterberg who poked the puck passed freshman goaltender Ben Blacker to go up 2-1.





Together the two teams combined for six penalties in the first, something sophomore forward Griffen Molino says is tough but as a team you must get through.





“It’s tough with all the penalties, but it is still a hockey game, you have to adjust and take things in stride,” Molino told CBS Sports Network’s Shireen Saski during the first intermission.





In the second period the Broncos thought they had taken the 3-2 lead after junior forward Frederik Tiffels caught Miska out of his crease for an easy goal. However, goalie interference was called on sophomore forward Matheson Iacopelli and the goal was waived off.





The Broncos wouldn’t stop pressuring their opponent. A shot from Fleming would bounce off Miska and sophomore forward Colt Conrad would push the puck in and tying the game. Yet, senior forward Alex Iafallo would rocket a shot from the top of the circle past Blacker to ...


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