SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Senior Zach Okabe scored in overtime to give fourth-seeded and seventh-ranked St. Cloud State a 3-2 win over No. 6 seed and 17th-ranked North Dakota Friday night in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff semifinals at Xcel Energy Center. With the win, the Huskies (23-12-3) improve to 6-0 all-time in the NCHC Tournament semifinals and advance to Saturday’s championship game against Colorado College.

Okabe’s game-winner came 5:45 into the extra session. Classmate Jami Krannila skated into the zone on the right, before threading a pass through a pair of Fighting Hawks to a streaking Okabe, who went backhand, top shelf to end the game. It was his 17th goal of the season and second point of the night. Junior Veeti Miettinen, who had a hand in all three SCSU goals, picked up the secondary assist on the game-winner.

Krannila scored the game-tying goal for the Huskies early in the third period, as he also had a two-point night. With North Dakota leading 2-1, SCSU worked the puck around the perimeter. Miettinen passed to Okabe at the point, who quickly worked it to Krannila for a one-time laser that found the back of the net from the right circle and tied the game 5:06 into the third period.

The Fighting Hawks (18-15-6) held a pair of one-goal leads in the game, as UND opened the scoring 6:18 into the contest. While on the power play, sophomore Jake Schmaltz sent a beautiful pass between his legs from down low through the slot to an open Ethan Frisch, who buried the puck in the open net. It was the senior defenseman’s seventh tally of the season and fifth on the man advantage.

Miettinen tied it for SCSU late in the opening period with a power play goal of his own. Freshman defenseman Cooper Wylie worked the puck to Miettinen at the top of the right circle, where he blasted a one-timer past UND goalie Drew DeRidder for his first point of the night. Miettinen’s 11th goal of the season came with 2:44 to go in the first frame.

North Dakota regained its lead midway through the second stanza when senior forward Judd Caulfield knocked in a loose puck in the crease. Fifth-year senior Gavin Hain sent a shot from distance through traffic that was first deflected by classmate Mark Senden, before Caulfield knocked it in with SCSU goalie Jaxon Castor stretching to cover it.

UND took its lead into the second intermission, but the International Exchange Line of Okabe, Krannila and Miettinen took over to lead the Huskies to their NCHC-record sixth Frozen Faceoff championship game.  

North Dakota outshot SCSU, 25-21, but Castor made 23 saves in net to earn the win for the Huskies. St. Cloud State did outshot UND, 6-2, in the extra session. SCSU finished 1-for-4 on the man advantage, while UND was 1-of-3.

St. Cloud State battles No. 7 seed Colorado College for the Frozen Faceoff championship Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT at Xcel Energy Center. The Huskies are going for their second NCHC Tournament title, first winning the Frozen Faceoff in 2016.