MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. -- A trio of third-period goals sent Wisconsin-Stevens Point to the national semifinals for the first time in 16 seasons with a 3-0 win against St. Thomas (Minn.) in the NCAA quarterfinals on Saturday night at St. Thomas Ice Arena.
Alex Kromm, Kyle Brodie and Garrett Ladd each scored in the final period for UW-Stevens Point (20-5-2) to give the Pointers their seventh appearance in the national semifinals and first since finishing as national runner-up in 1998.
UW-Stevens Point will face the winner of Babson and Oswego State in the Frozen Four in Lewiston, Maine on Friday. Babson and Oswego State play on Sunday afternoon.
After neither team could muster a goal in the first 40 minutes of play, Kromm scored at 6:17 of the third period off assists from Alex Brooks and Eliot Grauer. Kromm's fifth goal of the season would prove to be the game winner, as Brandon Jaeger recorded his fourth shutout of the season by making 25 saves for UW-Stevens Point.
The Pointers eventually provided Jaeger with plenty of offense as Brodie made it 2-0 at the 10:52 mark of the final period with his eighth goal of the season from Kyle Sharkey and Joe Kalisz. Ninety seconds later, Andrew Kolb and Lawrence Cornellier set up Garrett Ladd for his 19th goal of the season to cap the scoring.
Nine players accounted for UW-Stevens Point's nine points in the game.
After being outshot 7-5 in the first period, UW-Stevens Point took 22 shots to St. Thomas' 18 in the final two periods. The Pointers held the Tommies scoreless on three power plays, including a five-on-three, and only had one chance of their own with the man advantage.
