GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) - Seventeen North Dakota hockey players had scored goals going into Friday’s game against St. Cloud State. Sophomore forward Mike Gornall wasn’t one of them.
Gornall scored his first two goals of the season, including the game-winner in overtime, as North Dakota beat St. Cloud State 2-1 Friday to snap a three-game home losing streak.
Gornall outraced two Huskies to the puck and skated in alone on SCSU goalie Jeff Smith to score the game-winner on a back-hander 41 seconds into overtime.
Gornall’s first goal in the second period was his first since Jan. 23, 2016.
“That was amazing to be a part of,” said Gornall, who was playing in his 10th game of the season. “I’m just glad we came out on top. It comes down to who works harder and wants it more.”
UND needed it. The Fighting Hawks are now 3-7-2 in their last 12 home games. They are off next weekend before their last three series of the regular season.
It was UND’s fourth overtime game of the season and the first that didn’t finish in a tie.
“I don’t think they get any bigger than that,” UND coach Brad Berry said. “We needed that desperately. Our guys stuck with it.”
Goalie Cam Johnson returned to the nets for North Dakota (15-11-3, 8-9-1-1 National Collegiate Hockey Conference) after being sidelined with an injury. He made 20 saves in 21 shots on goal.
Smith made 24 saves for the Huskies.
Mikey Eyssimont scored the only goal for St. Cloud State (13-14-1, 7-10-1-0), which beat UND 3-1 on Friday. The Huskies’ last four series have featured wins on Fridays and losses on Saturdays.
St. Cloud State took a 1-0 lead on Eyssimont’s power-play goal at 11:25 of the first period.
Eyssimont was in the right place at the right time to give the Huskies the lead. He was at the left side of the net when a shot hit the board behind the goal and bounced back to him for an easy goal.
UND picked up the pace in the second period. It outshot the Huskies 12-7 and got the game-tying goal from Gornall at 14:10 of the period.
Gornall skated in on Smith and took a shot that Smith stopped. Gornall’s momentum through the crease buried St. Cloud State defenseman Jack Ahcan and left Gornall all alone with the puck in front of the net for a tap-in goal.
“Hard work pays off, I know it’s a cliché, but it’s the truth. I believe it and I stand by it. That’s what I do whether I’m in the lineup or not,” Gornall said.
Team scoring leader Shane Gersich, All-American Brock Boeser and Rhett Gardner had assists. It was Boeser’s first point in seven games, Gardner’s first in six games and Gersich’s in three.
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