UW-Stout Advances To NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Semifinals

**Recap courtesy of UW-Stout Sports Information

UTICA, N.Y.--University of Wisconsin-Stout advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship with a 5-1 win over Utica College (N.Y.) at Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium on March 21.

The Blue Devils (23-5-1) will make their second “Frozen Four” appearance on March 27 against three-time defending national champion Hobart College (N.Y.) (29-0) in Utica, N.Y. Aurora University (Ill.) (25-5-1) and Hamilton College (N.Y.) (21-5-2) will participate in the other semifinal contest. UW-Stout’s 23 wins match the program record established by the 2008-09 squad that also advanced to the “Frozen Four”.

Utica, last year's national runner-up, came out flying on home ice and controlled much of the early play. The Pioneers struck first on the power play midway through the opening period, but UW-Stout responded almost immediately with a momentum-shifting equalizer.

Jake McAlpine chipped a puck deep from the neutral zone that was stopped behind the Utica net, but Nicolas Pigeon won the race to it, carried on his backhand, and slipped a perfect feed to Hayden Stocks at the top of the crease. Stocks buried the chance high glove side to even the game at 1-1.

From there, it became the Sebastian Monaco show. The freshman netminder made a series of high-end saves to keep the game level, including a huge kick save just 1:30 after the tying goal on a Utica power play chance from between the hashes.

UW-Stout seized full control in the second period. Just over two minutes in, Stocks struck again on the power play for his team-leading 17th goal of the season. After Noah Tyrrell was denied in front, the rebound kicked directly to Stocks, who fired into an open net to give UW-Stout its first lead.

Later in the period, with tensions boiling over and both teams skating four-on-four, Pigeon delivered a highlight-reel goal. The junior forward danced around two defenders in the corner, sending them into each other before cutting across the crease on his backhand and sliding a five-hole finish home. He punctuated the moment by pointing to the logo on his chest as the Blue Devils took a 3-1 lead.

While UW-Stout's offense surged, Monaco slammed the door on the other end. The netminder turned aside 46 shots on the night, including a pair of highlight reel saves midway through the third period. With 11:05 remaining, he denied a point-blank opportunity that looked destined for the back of the net, then followed it up minutes later with a full-extension cross-crease stop to rob Utica on a tap-in.

Nicholas Stevens iced the game with an empty-net goal after UW-Stout finally cleared its zone, and just seconds later Evan Luxford stripped a defender in the neutral zone and raced in alone, finishing five-hole to cap the 5-1 victory.

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