St. Cloud State reaches championship game with dramatic 5-4 win over Minnesota State
The puck flies past Minnesota State goaltender Dryden McKay (29) as Akito Hirose (2) clears St. Cloud State's Joe Molenaar (22) from the crease during the second period of an NCAA men's Frozen Four hockey semifinal...[AP/Keith Srakocic]
Nolan Walker scored on a redirection with 53.2 seconds left and St. Cloud State held off Minnesota State 5-4 to advance to the program’s first national championship game.
St. Cloud State led 3-1 early in the second period and trailed 4-3 with 15 minutes remaining before winning its 10th one-goal game of the season. Joe Molenaar, a freshman, tied it at 4 with his first career goal midway through the third, and Walker got a stick on defenseman Seamus Donohue’s shot to win it.
David Hrenak made 25 saves for the Huskies, who were without their leading scorer Easton Brodzinski due to a season-ending injury in the East Regional. Minnesota State goaltender Dryden McKay made 17 saves.