Brad Eidsness stopped all 22 shots he faced Thursday as #5 North Dakota blanked #11 Duluth, 2-0. The shutout was Eidsness' third of the season and second in as many weekends. Corey Fienhage was even with a shot on goal for the Sioux in his first game since March 6th. The sophomore blueliner is expected to play all three games this weekend with Joe Gleason nursing a lower body injury. With a spot already clinched in the NCAA tournament field, North Dakota now moves on to face #1 Denver in Friday's WCHA semifinal.
In the OHL, Zack Kassian scored the game winning goal while playing a fantastic all-around game as Windsor opened the 2010 playoffs with a 6-2 win over Erie. The goal, a skilled finish off a power forward move around defenseman Mitch Gaulton (NYR), was Kassian's fifth in five games with the defending Memorial Cup Champion Spits. Greg McKegg ('10) scored a shorthanded goal for the Otters.
In another weeknight opener, Nick Crawford picked up three assists as Barrie embarrassed Sudbury, 11-4. Crawford, who finished the regular season as the OHL's leading scorer among defensemen, earned two of the helpers on the power play as top-ranked Barrie rode ten different scorers to take a 1-0 series lead. Marcus Foligno scored a goal and an assist for the Wolves.
