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College hockey: UMass upsets Minnesota Duluth in OT, advances to Frozen Four final

April 9 (UPI) -- Junior forward Garrett Wait scored in overtime lead the University of Massachusetts past two-time defending champion Minnesota Duluth in the Frozen Four and punch his school's ticket to the National Championship game.

Wait's dramatic score came with about 5:30 remaining in the overtime victory Thursday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

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"After the second period I really urged the players to realize that it's going to take more," UMass coach Greg Carvel told reporters.

"And I thought the kids did a great job in the third period. ... The overtime was pretty lopsided."

The Minutemen and Bulldogs were tied at 2-2 at the end of regulation. Freshman forward Josh Lopina then passed off to junior forward Bobby Trivigno with about 5:35 to play. Trivigno skated from right to left behind the goal. He then faked a defender and skated the opposite direction.

Trivigno then wrapped his stick around the goal and found Wait at the far post. Wait finished the play with a tap into the net past Bulldogs netminder Zach Stejskal for the sudden-death victory.

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The Minutemen took an initial lead with about 4:27 remaining in the first period. Zac Jones scored that goal off a power play. Matthew Kessel and Oliver Chau assisted the score.

The Bulldogs then tied the game about 2:27 later when Quinn Olson and Connor Kelley helped Tanner Laderoute beat Minutemen goaltender Matt Murray.

Cole Koepke scored the only goal of the second period to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead heading into the final frame. Noah Cates and Nick Swanye assisted that score, which came midway through the bridge period.

The Minutemen fought back in the third period. Lopino and Trivigno set up an Anthony Del Gaizo score 8:25 into the period to tie the game at 2-2. Neither team scored for the remainder of the period to force overtime.

Murray had 36 saves on 38 shots. Stejskal had 25 saves in the loss.

The Minutemen battle St. Cloud State in the final at 7 p.m. EDT Saturday in Pittsburgh. St. Cloud State beat Minnesota State 5-4 in another semifinal matchup Thursday in Pittsburgh.

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