OMAHA, Neb.-- Senior captain Jordan Kawaguchi's game-winning goal just eight seconds into overtime sent fourth-ranked North Dakota to a 4-3 win over the ninth-ranked St. Cloud State Huskies Wednesday evening at Baxter Arena. 

"He's a guy when the puck is on his tape, he loves the spotlight of trying to win the game," UND head coach Brad Berry said of his clutch captain. "We had a couple looks near the end of regulation that missed or went off the post, but overall, I'm just proud of the way our group battled. I thought the five-minute major kill was huge in us not only getting us a point but coming out of here with two points."

Mark Senden got North Dakota moving the right direction quickly. The third-line junior forward was spring free on a breakaway and found David Hrenak's five hole for a 1-0 lead just 2:15 into the game. Jasper Weatherby created a turnover in the neutral zone and poked it to Gavin Hain. He then was able to lead Senden in all alone on Hrenak. 

St. Cloud State's answer came at the 16:08 mark on Easton Brodzinski's third goal of the season. The period would end tied at 1-1. 

UND's power play, which entered the game as the sixth-best in the country and tops in the NCHC, struck in the second. Matt Kiersted fed Jordan Kawaguchi driving towards the net then the senior captain sent a cross-ice pass to Shane Pinto. The sophomore gave Kawaguchi his 100th career point as he cashed it in for his third power-play tally of the season and his fourth overall goal this year. 

The Fighting Hawks later made it 3-1 on a goal by senior Collin Adams. Goalie Adam Scheel picked up his fourth career assist on the goal. Scheel gave it to defenseman Gabe Bast, then Adams went the length of the ice, racing past multiple St. Cloud State defenders before roofing it past Hrenak for a two-goal cushion. 

Nick Perbix closed the gap in the final minute of the middle frame for a 3-2 score through 40 minutes. 

SCSU evened the game in the third and it went to an extra frame. Shane Pinto, one of the country's best faceoff men, won a draw that Kawaguchi was able to race down along the far wall. With plenty of space in the 3-on-3 format, the captain walked through the slot and blew a wrister past Hrenak's trapper for the winner. The Hobey Baker Award finalist from a season ago continues to build on his resume of late-game heroics with his 18th game-winning point in the last two seasons. 

Adam Scheel stood tall in net, making 24 saves, including several huge stops to keep North Dakota unscathed in that long five-minute penalty kill in the third.  

UND will have two games remaining in the NCHC pod in Omaha, playing third-ranked Minnesota Duluth on Saturday before ending the 10-game pod with Miami on Sunday evening. 

NOTES
*Jordan Kawaguchi notched his 100th and 101st career point, becoming the 86th UND player to reach that plateau and first since Drake Caggiula in 2015-16. 
*Kawaguchi extended his season-opening point streak to eight. 
*Adam Scheel picked up his 16th career win over a nationally-ranked opponent.
*Scheel's assist on Collin Adams' goal was the fourth of his career. The all-time leader in goalie assists in current assistant coach Karl Goehring with seven (1997-2001). 
*75th all-time win for UND over SCSU (75-46-15).
*Shane Pinto had a goal and assisted on the game-winner to give him 12 points, tied for most in the NCAA.