The St. Thomas Tommies defeated the Lake Superior State Lakers 5-2 Saturday in St. Paul. (Milla Mirkovic/The Crest) 
1286 people were reported in attendance to watch the Tommies advance to the next round of the CCHA tournament. (Milla Mirkovic/The Crest) 
Lakers Forward Pierson Sobush struggles against Tommies Defensemen Bauer Berry. The Tommies will play their next game Saturday, March 14. (Milla Mirkovic/The Crest) 
The Tommies scored 3 goals in the third period of the game, breaking a 2-2 tie. (Milla Mirkovic/The Crest)
St. Thomas first-year forward Lucas Van Vliet and senior forward Lucas Wahlin each scored two goals in their 5-2 victory over Lake Superior State Saturday night, sending the Tommies to the Mason Cup Semifinals March 14 at Lee and Penny Anderson Arena.
Van Vliet’s 12th goal of the season, assisted by senior forward Charlie Schoen and first-year defenseman Bauer Berry, came in the last three minutes of the game and stole all hope from Lake Superior State.
“We got back to the bench and me and (Schoen) talked about it,” Van Vliet said. “We had to get it back for our team, and I think we did a good job of getting it back. I was just trying to be in the right spot.”
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association re-seeds teams after the quarterfinal round. If Minnesota State loses its third game Sunday, the Tommies will be the top seed remaining, meaning they will host Ferris State. If MSU wins, they will play Augustana at home.
Van Vliet is a finalist for the CCHA Rookie of the Year award. He has tallied 13 goals and 21 assists this season for the Tommies.
The game started out hot when St. Thomas first-year defenseman Colton Jamieson scored his first collegiate goal, assisted by senior forward Caige Sterzer and sophomore forward Dylan Godbout, giving the Tommies a 1-0 lead in the first two minutes.
The lead didn’t last long however, as the Lakers’ senior forward Ryan Beck scored just a few minutes later, tying the game for the rest of the period.
The entire game was extremely physical between the Tommies and Lakers, totaling up to 14 penalties throughout the game. The Tommies’ Jamieson and the Lakers’ first-year forward Pierson Sobush fought with 11 seconds left in the game.
Sobush and Jamieson grabbed each other, but Sobush wrestled and flipped Jamieson hard onto the ice and repeatedly punched him in the side. Sobush received a major penalty. Jamieson originally received a minor penalty, but after Lake Superior State coach Damon Whitten challenged, Jamieson also received a major penalty.
Early in the second period, Wahlin and two Lake Superior State players fell to the ice directly in front of the Lakers net, but Wahlin managed to sneak a shot on goal while lying on his stomach.
The goal was initially ruled good and upheld after a review, but after Lake Superior State challenged the call, officials overturned the decision. The ruling drew loud boos from Tommie fans.
“We all kind of saw it cross the goal line,” Wahlin said. “But at the end of the day, it’s up to the referees. They made the decision that it was a goalie interference.”
Just a few minutes later, Wahlin buried his 20th goal of the season, assisted by senior forward Ryan O’Neill, to give the Tommies a 2-1 lead for the rest of the period.
“I saw the opportunity to get one on net and used the defenseman as a screen and ended up picking my corner,” Wahlin said.
Lake Superior State junior defenseman Evan Bushy scored in the final five minutes to tie the game 2-2, before Van Vliet scored a key goal for the Tommies to take the lead. Wahlin and Van Vliet each then scored once more on empty nets to secure the game.
Wahlin ranks first in the CCHA in goals with 21 and is a finalist for the CCHA Defensive Forward of the Year award. Wahlin is one of only five active players in the country with at least three 30-point seasons to his name.
Coach Rico Blasi says the team will focus on resting up before the semifinals.
“Then we’re gonna get back to work and focus on whoever we’re playing and what we need to do.” Blasi said.
Reagan Boschulte can be reached at bosc3829@stthomas.edu.
