HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - North Dakota forwards Brett Bruneteau, Chris VandeVelde and Brett Hextall scored to lift the sixth-ranked Fighting Sioux to a 3-3 overtime tie with host Notre Dame tonight in the championship game of the Shillelagh Tournament.
Notre Dame's Ben Ryan scored as the 10th shooter in the shooter to decide the tournament champion. Despite the shootout, the game officially goes into the books as an overtime tie.
The tie keeps the Fighting Sioux unbeaten in non-conference play at 4-0-2.
Ryan, who ended the game with his shootout winner, opened the scoring only 3:59 into the first period when his wrist shot from the high slot made its way through traffic and beat UND goalie Brad Eidsness (So., Chestermere, Alberta) to the stick side.
But the Sioux responded with three consecutive goals, including Chris VandeVelde's (Sr., Moorhead, Minn.) tally with 3:06 left in the period that tied the game 1-1. Sophomore forward Jason Gregoire (Winnipeg, Manitoba) led a rush up the left side, circle the and centered to VandeVelde, who muscled a backhander over Notre Dame goalie Mike Johnson for his sixth goal of the season.
UND grabbed the lead early in the second period while on the power-play. Sophomore defenseman Jake Marto unleashed a shot from the point that Johnson stopped, but the rebound bounced directly to forward Brett Hextall (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) stationed below the left circle and Hextall one-timed the puck into the gaping net.
The goal was Hextall's eighth of the season, tying him with Gregoire for the team lead.
UND grabbed its first lead just over six minutes later on freshman Brett Bruneteau's first career goal. The Omaha, Neb., native grabbed the puck behind the Notre Dame net and tried to center it, and the puck ricocheted off Johnson's back and into the net for a 3-1 Sioux lead with 11:13 left in the second period.
The Irish cut the lead to one just four minutes later, however, on a 3-on-2 rush that was finished off by a Kevin Deeth wrist shot from the right circle.
Notre Dame found the equalizer 96 seconds into the third period, as Billy Maday collected a loose puck inside the Sioux blueline, walked into the high slot and beat Eidsness high to the blocker side for his third goal of the tournament.
Both teams went 1-for-4 on the power-play. Notre Dame outshot the Sioux 32-28.
Eidsness finished with 29 saves while Johnson countered with 25.
UND returns to WCHA action next weekend when it hosts Minnesota State on Friday and Saturday at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Notes: Hextall and Marto were named to the all-tournament team, along with Johnson, Maday and Notre Dame defenseman Brett Blatchford. Johnson was named tournament MVP ... Gleason snapped a 12-game point drought with a second-period assist.
