Tyler Buckentine
Free Press Staff Writer
ST PETER — There’s something different about overtime in hockey, especially during the playoffs.
“You know it could end at any moment,” said Gustavus Adolphus senior forward T.J. Ridley. “You have to play every shift like it’s your last.”
Ridley hopes he didn’t play his last career shift Wednesday night. Brett Tobin scored 3:27 into overtime as No. 3 seed St. Thomas upset the top-seeded Gusties in the MIAC Tournament Championship, 2-1, at Don Roberts Ice Rink.
“It hurts pretty bad right now,” Ridley said. “It doesn’t seem real yet but I’m sure it will sink in later.”
It took four overtime periods Satruday night for the Gusties to beat Augsburg 6-5.
The Tommies won a faceoff to the right of GAC goaltender Josh Swartout a little more than three minutes into overtime as both teams fought for the puck near the top of the crease.
The puck squirted free to Tobin who caught Swartout out of position and buried the game-winner.
“We’re very fortunate to have won the game but our guys worked really hard,” said St. Thomas coach Terry Skrypek.
Skrypek admitted his team came out flat in the first period; the Gusties held the shots-on-goal advantage 17-7 when the teams went into the dressing rooms.
Still, the Gusties couldn’t capitalize on their chances. David Martinson had a couple of breakaways turned away by Tommies goalie Joe Schraeder, who finished with 38 saves.
The Tommies fired their share of shots but the Gusties defense was able to get their bodies in front to prevent the puck from reaching the goal area.
“(GAC) had so many chances to put it away early,” Skrypek said. “Our goalie played unbelievable in the first period. We knew if we could weather the storm and make it out of the first period, we’d be fine cause we couldn’t have played much worse.”
GAC took a one-goal lead into the first intermission when Brad Wieck won a race to the puck and got the pass to Eric Bigham in the slot. Bigham hesitated and passed to Ridley who put it home.
“I had just gotten on the ice,” Ridley said. “(Bigham) was about to shoot and that drew the goalie out of the net. Then he found me on the back door and I just had to tap it in.”
Neither team was called for a penalty until the third period when St. Thomas’ Alex Arnason went off for hooking eight seconds into the period. The Gusties put three shots on goal but couldn’t put anything in.
The Tommies got their first power play at the 5:35 mark of the period and tied the game with a goal by Andrew Kappers right off the faceoff.
The No. 6 Gusties (19-6-2) now have their sights on an at-large bid to the West Regional. The selection committee meets Sunday.
“We’ll continue to practice,” Ridley said. “If they think we fit in, we’ll get a bid.”
