Box Score ADRIAN, Mich. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica men's hockey team won its first Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) semifinal postseason game since 2007, defeating second-ranked Adrian College (Mich.) 4-3 Saturday night behind two goals from Alex Valenti (Blaine, Wash./Bellingham HS (Merritt-BCHL) ), including the eventual game winner.

The game started out with Adrian striking first when Kevin Balas shot the puck past Saints goalie Tyler Bruggeman (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West HS (Austin-NAHL) ) with assists by Austin Hervey and Jake Flegel making the score 1-0 Bulldogs just 5:35 into the game.

The Saints would answer back later in the period as, with 6:50 left in the period Valenti would score his first goal on an assist by Paul Marcoux (Brandon, Manitoba /Vincent Massey Collegiate (Waywayseecappo-MJHL) ) tying the game at 1-1.

Adrian answered with just 1:14 left in the period when Adam Davies scored off of a pass from Brett Pinkerton putting the Bulldogs up 2-1 heading into the first intermission.

The second period was a back-and-forth effort that included five total power plays, two of which came at the end of the period for the Saints.  It is there that the Saints seized the opportunity.  Brandon Nowakowski (Calgary, Alberta/Central Memorial HS (Calgary Royals-AJHL)) scored on the first power play tying the game at 2-2 on an assist by brother Dylan Nowakowski (Calgary, Alberta/Centennial HS (Brooks-AJHL) ). Then Dylan would be rewarded scoring with just one second left in the period to put the Saints ahead 3-2 with just 20 minutes to play in the game.

The third period saw a flurry of scoring early on.  Adrian would score just 1:36 into the period, followed by Valenti's second goal just 1:29 later putting the score at 4-3 Saints. Adrian would also have a goal waved off in the first four minutes of the period.

The Bulldogs would put on the pressure following Valenti's second goal including taking seven of the last eight shots in the game, but Bruggeman and the Saints wouldn't budge as they took the road win and advanced to the NCHA Championship for the first time since 2007 with a 4-3 victory.

Bruggeman stopped a career-high 41 shots in the victory. James Hambly had 20 saves in the loss for the Bulldogs. The Saints had lost five straight NCHA postseason semifinal games up until tonight.

The Saints (16-8-4) will now play No. 1 ranked St. Norbert College for the Harris Cup Championship next Saturday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at this link. The game can be heard live on Saints Sports Net.