North Dakota Beats Colorado College 5-3

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Leading after two periods of a Saturday night game is as close to a sure thing in college hockey as North Dakota can get.

Bryn Chyzyk's goal midway through the third period stood up as the game-winner as second-ranked UND beat Colorado College 5-3 in a National Collegiate Hockey Conference game to improve to 12-0-1 on Saturday.

Mark MacMillan's goal late in the second period gave UND a 3-2 lead heading into the third period and North Dakota improved to 15-0-1 when taking a lead into the third period. It was UND's fifth straight win.

"I know we were the better team as we went through the second and third periods tonight," North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol said. "In the first we were a little off, we took a couple of penalties and they capitalized on them."

Drake Caggiula scored an empty-netter in the closing seconds for second-ranked UND (18-5-2, 9-4-1).

UND's Luke Johnson and Stephane Pattyn traded first-period goals with Charlie Taft and Scott Wamsganz of Colorado College (5-16-1, 1-11-1).

Johnson got things started for UND with a power-play goal just 3:50 into the game. It was his third power-play goal of the season and ended a 0-for-11 drought by North Dakota over its last five NCHC games.

Johnson waited at the top of the circle and took a cross-ice pass before snapping it through traffic into the net.

Taft scored the first of the Tigers' two power-play goals in the period at 12:41. UND goalie Zane McIntyre made the initial save on Peter Stoykewych, but Taft pounced on a rebound and tied the game.

Just 1:17 later, Pattyn capped a 2-on-1 rush with a rebound goal. Colten St. Clair's shot on the fly bounced off Colorado College goalie Tyler Marble right to Pattyn for the goal.

The Tigers tied it again on Wamsganz's power-play goal at 18:24.

MacMillan's goal at 17:19 was crucial for UND.

"We played well in the second period," Wamsganz said. "One breakdown and they took advantage."

MacMillan credited his linemate for the goal.

"(Michael Parks) made a great play finding me in the slot," MacMillan said. "It always makes it easier playing with a guy like Mike."

Chyzyk made it 4-2 before Aaron Harstad scored on a slapshot from the left point at 18:07. McIntyre made 25 saves, many in the final three minutes with the Tigers using an extra attacker.

Caggiula closed out the scoring at 19:33. Colorado College goalie Tyler Marble made 30 saves before he was taken out with nearly three minutes to play.

"We're figuring out a formula here," Hakstol said. "We know what it is. We just have to go out and execute that. I felt we dug into that, and they are a lot of good individual efforts that go into that."

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