UW-Stout 4, UW-Superior 3 | Photo Gallery
MENOMONIE (March 7, 2009) - UW-Stout found themselves on the opposite end of a comeback attempt, but in the end, the Blue Devils held off UW-Superior, 4-3, to win their first ever Peters Cup trophy Saturday at Wessman Arena.
Stout (22-5-2) had executed more than 10 come-from-behind wins this season, but it was Superior (23-3-3) that came back in the third period from a 4-1 deficit to threaten Stout's seemingly safe lead.
Superior got two goals in the third period within minutes of each other. Chris Wilson scored at 11:13 and four minutes later, the Yellowjackets' Logan Isley scored his second goal of the game just as Stout was putting a player back on the ice as a penalty expired.
Stout took a 2-1 lead in the first period as Matt Morin (Fr, Brooklyn Park, Minn) and Bobby Kuehl (Jr, St. Paul, Minn) scored goals in the period to give Stout a 2-1 lead.
After spotting the Yellowjackets an early 1-0 lead midway through the opening period on an unassisted goal by Isley at the 11:20 mark, the Blue Devils went to work.
Morin scored only a minute after Isley scored, taking a pass from David Larson (So, Warroad, Minn) and Robert Carr (So, Roseau, Minn). While on his knees, Morin put the puck past NCHA player of the year Chad Beisweinger as both teams had a man in the penalty box. Kuehl gave Stout a 2-1 lead, scoring in a flurry of activity just before the first period buzzer.
Stout put two more goals on Beiswenger in the second period when Derek Hanson (Jr, Bemidji, Minn) scored early in the period and Larson scored with five minutes left in the period.
Stout goalie Matt Koenig (Sr, Lakeland, Minn) recorded 34 saves, turning back 14 shots in the third period and 12 in the second period. Beiswenger finished the game with 18 saves.
The win stretches Stout's unbeaten streak to 14 games and their winning streak to nine games. The 22 wins is the most wins in school history.
This is the second consecutive year the Blue Devils have advanced to the championship game. Last year, Stout lost, 4-3, in a long overtime period to eventual national champion St. Norbert. During the season, Superior defeated Stout in Menomonie, 3-1, while the teams tied in Superior, 2-2. Superior is ranked second, Stout third in the latest USHCO.com Division III poll and the Yellowjackets are the top seeded team in the Peters Cup tournament, Stout is the second seed.
Stout receives the NCHA's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. Superior, in all likelihood, will receive an at-large bid. The 11-team NCAA tournament kicks off Wednesday, March 11 with three play-in games. The second round is set for Saturday, March 14, with the championship series, March 20-21, at Lake Placid, New York. Both Stout and Superior will likely play their first game, Saturday, March 14.
