GameCenter final: UND 6, Miami 2

UND (18-5-1) is opening the National Collegiate Hockey Conference playoffs with a quarterfinal game against Miami (5-17-2).

First star: Collin Adams, 2 goals, 5 points.

Second star: Jordan Kawaguchi, 4 assists.

Third star: Jacob Bernard-Docker, 1 goal, 2 points.

UND 1, Miami 0 -- Collin Adams (Jordan Kawaguchi, Jacob Bernard-Docker) :14. UND gets the great start its looking for, scoring just 14 seconds into the game. Bernard-Docker makes a terrific chip pass from his own zone to Kawaguchi at the offensive blue line. Miami defenseman Derek Daschke was caught way up ice and Kawaguchi started a two-on-one rush with Adams. Kawaguchi made the pass and Adams made a nice move to his backhand to finish off his 10th goal of the season. It's a key goal considering UND enters the weekend 17-0-0 when scoring first.

UND 2, Miami 0 -- Louis Jamernik (Mark Senden, Gavin Hain) 5:27. UND battles for the puck in the corner and it pops out to the bottom of the right circle, where Jamernik fires one on net that gets through Miami goalie Ludvig Persson. It's one Persson is going to want back. For Jamernik, it's his first collegiate goal.

UND 3, Miami 0 -- Collin Adams (Jordan Kawaguchi, Ethan Frisch) 5:36. UND scores again just nine seconds later. Frisch sends a pass up ice that Kawaguchi tips into the zone. Adams races Gilling to the puck as defenseman Alec Capstick is caught up ice. Adams wins the race, skates toward the net on a mini two-on-one and attempts to pass it to Bendan Budy, but his pass hits RedHawk defender Hampus Rydqvist and goes in the net.

UND 3, Miami 1 -- Phil Knies (Casey Gilling, Rourke Russell) 11:14. Miami gets one back on a nice play by Gilling along the end wall. The senior captain gets possession below the goal line, creates a passing lane and sends the puck to Knies in the right circle. Knies snipes it for his third goal of the season.

UND 4, Miami 1 -- Riese Gaber (Jordan Kawaguchi, Collin Adams) 14:24. Moments after UND's first power play of the game expires, Kawaguchi makes a terrific play to set up Gaber, who snaps his 12-game goal drought. Kawaguchi skates the puck in the zone, executes a give-and-go with Adams, pulls defenders toward him in the corner, then makes a cross-ice pass to a wide open Gaber at the inside of the right circle. Gaber's first attempt is blocked by Russell, but he buries his second try. It's his first goal since Jan. 11 at Colorado College and his first-ever goal in Ralph Engelstad Arena.

UND 5, Miami 1 -- Jacob Bernard-Docker (Jake Sanderson, Collin Adams) 9:50. Sanderson uses his speed to skate around the zone, then leaves a pass for Bernard-Docker at the point. The defenseman hammers a one-timer past Persson, who isn't screened on the play. It's Bernard-Docker's third of the season.

UND 5, Miami 2 -- Rourke Russell (Joe Cassetti) 17:02. Russell sends a point shot to the net that UND goalie Adam Scheel tries to send to the corner with his blocker, but he doesn't get all of it and the puck pops in the air and lands behind his right leg. Scheel then accidentally kicks it across the goal line.

UND 6, Miami 2 -- Brendan Budy (Collin Adams, Jordan Kawaguchi) 5:10. Adams steals the puck from Miami defenseman Alec Mahalak and gets it to Kawaguchi in space. Kawaguchi gives it back to Adams, who appears to hit the post, but Budy follows it up and scores. It's the fifth point of the game for Adams, marking the first five-point game by a UND player since Mark MacMillan on Oct. 18, 2014 at Colorado College. It's the fourth point for Kawaguchi.

Forwards

9 Brendan Budy--18 Collin Adams--29 Jordan Kawaguchi

17 Riese Gaber--22 Shane Pinto--28 Judd Caulfield

10 Gavin Hain--14 Jasper Weatherby--19 Mark Senden

8 Harrison Blaisdell--27 Louis Jamernik--21 Jackson Keane

Defensemen

3 Matt Kiersted--24 Jacob Bernard-Docker

26 Jake Sanderson--15 Ethan Frisch

25 Tyler Kleven--2 Gabe Bast

4 Cooper Moore

Goaltenders

31 Adam Scheel

1 Peter Thome

35 Harrison Feeney

Out of lineup: Grant Mismash (inj), Josh Rieger, Griffin Ness and Carson Albrecht

Forwards

67 Phil Knies--39 Casey Gilling--10 Ben Lown

29 Matthew Barbolini--26 Matt Barry--9 Jack Olmstead

25 Scott Corbett--22 Joe Cassetti--21 Ryan Savage

28 Chase Pletzke--18 Monte Graham--12 John Sladic

Defensemen

13 Derek Daschke--5 Jack Clement

11 Rourke Russell--7 Robby Drazner

34 Alec Capstick--16 Hampus Rydqvist

6 Alec Mahalak

Goaltenders

32 Ludvig Persson

36 Grant Valentine

33 Ben Kraws

Scratches: Bray Crowder, Andrew Sinard, Caleb Rule, Michael Holland, Brian Silver, Dylan Moulton

Referees -- Dan Dreger and Nick Krebsbach

Linesmen -- Dan Cohen and Troy Aronson

As expected, Grant Mismash is out again for UND. He is missing his sixth-straight game with an injury. He hasn't played since Feb. 12 against Denver. . . UND did some slight line juggling, moving Brendan Budy into Mismash's spot on the top line and bringing Jordan Kawaguchi back to right wing, which is where he's played most of his college career. That move reunites Riese Gaber (who has three goals in two games against Miami) with Shane Pinto and Judd Caulfield. . . Cooper Moore is the extra skater. . . The goalie matchup is the first-team all-NCHC netminder Adam Scheel against the second-team all-NCHC netminder Ludvig Persson. . . This is the first playoff matchup between the teams since March 21, 2014, when an eighth-seeded Miami team beat a second-seeded UND team in the NCHC semifinals.

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