The UAA hockey team’s quest for a conference playoff spot hit a speed bump Friday in Bowling Green, Ohio, where the Seawolves lost 5-4 in overtime, failing to strengthen their hold on the final playoff spot in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
The Falcons scored a little more than two minutes into the extra period to deny UAA much-needed points in the WCHA standings.
UAA sits in eighth place in the WCHA with 20 points and a 4-14-5 record (4-17-6 overall). The top eight teams in the 10-team league advance to the playoffs, and lurking behind the Seawolves is Ferris State, the ninth-place team with 17 points. Ferris State is idle this weekend and has six conference games left to try to catch UAA, which has five left.
The Seawolves grabbed a one-goal lead thee times in the game. Bowling Green took its first lead with about seven minutes left in the second period, 4-3, and kept it until the game’s final minute. UAA pulled goalie Kris Carlson for the extra attacker and got the game-tying goal from sophomore Tanner Schachle with 29 seconds left in regulation.
Alec Rauhauser scored the game-winner at 2:14 of the first overtime to give the sixth-place Falcons (14-13-2 overall, 9-10-2 WCHA) all three conference points at stake. Had the game gone to a second overtime, UAA would have been assured of at least one point.
Carlson finished with 40 saves for the Seawolves, who were outshot 45-30 and held scoreless on five power plays.
Zach Nazzarett scored twice and Schachle and Luc Brown each scored three points for UAA, with Schachle getting a goal and two assists and Brown tallying three assists. Rylee St. Onge scored UAA’s other goal, his eighth of the season.
The teams meet again Saturday.