Rivermen roll to the final four
UMSL outlasts Nevada in quarterfinal, will face Stony Brook tonight at 8:45
GPCIHL April 7th, 2007 at 1:01AMThe top-seeded UMSL Rivermen survived a challenge from the Nevada Wolf Pack this afternoon in the NCRHA Division II national quarterfinal, holding off a late rally to win 5-4 and advance to tonight's semifinal.
Eric Thompson led the Rivermen with a hat trick, and Adam Clarke and James Wetton scored a goal each, as the UMSL defense provided all the goalscoring.
With the loss, Nevada's three-year final four streak comes to an end.
UMSL will face the ECRHA DII champion Stony Brook Seawolves at 8:45 at Matteson Square Garden Triplex.
The winner advances to the DII national championship game, scheduled for Saturday at 10 am, and will face the winner of tonight's game between Neumann and Cinderella final-four participant Saint Louis, a No. 6 seed who dropped third-seeded Emory last night, and second-seeded Long Beach State this afternoon, to advance to the final four.
Stony Brook has won 17 consecutive games, including a 6-5 overtime win over the previously undefeated Neumann Knights in the ECRHA DII final on March 4. Incredibly, the Seawolves battled back from a 5-0 third-period deficit to force overtime, where Matt Douglas scored to give his club its first league championship in its second year of existence.
TONIGHT: Division II Semifinal, UMSL vs. SUNY Stony Brook, 8:45 pm.
SATURDAY: Division II Final, 10:00 am.
Matteson Square Garden Triplex
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James Lambert