There was an awful lot on the line for both teams when the 'Jackets took the ice against St. Norbert at the Cornerstone Community Center on Friday night.  The 'Jackets, who held a two-point lead in the NCHA standings heading into the game, needed the points to maintain or build a lead in their quest for the league title.  St Norbert needed the points to stay in the hunt for a title and home ice in the post-season.  With so much on the line, the game was destined to be a classic.

Goals, hits, fantastic rushes and great goaltending.  Playoff intensity ruled the night.  The folks in attendance got everything they would have expected, and more.  The teams traded goals throughout and skated to a 2-2 tie on Friday night in front of a crowd of 1,473.

The tie ensured that the 'Jackets would be in first place for at least another day.

St. Norbert opened the scoring with less than a minute to go in the first period.  Shane Wheeler picked up a rebound to the right of Chad Beiswenger (Sr. Moorhead, Minnesota) and tapped it into the empty net at 19:14.  It was his eighth of the year.

Superior tied it at 16:19 of the second period.  Eric Bausano (Sr. Laurium, Michigan) took a centering feed and one-timed a shot from between the circles for his fourth goal of the year.  Braden Desmet (Jr. Strathmore, Alberta) and Rob Turville (Sr. Olds, Alberta) assisted.

In the third, the Green Knights again took the lead four minutes in.  Matt Boyd beat his man off the end boards and wrapped the puck in the net off the right post to make it 2-1.  The 'Jackets would once again come back to tie it.  Ryan Kuntz (Sr. Regina, Saskatchewan) fed Desmet in the left circle who got the shot on goal.  The rebound came up the slot and Bausano knocked it home for his second of the game, fifth of the year to make it 2-2 at 11:49.

From there, the teams traded chances, but the goaltenders stole the show.  The best chance of the bunch came in the final minute of regulation.  Kevin Huck (Sr. Eden Prairie, Minnesota) had the breakaway, faked to the backhand and went to the forehand.  It appeared that he had St. Norbert goaltender Blake Bashor beat, but a defender got a piece of him at the last season and he never got the shot away.

In the overtime, each team only had one shot on goal, but the goaltenders again stood tall, and everyone left with a point.

Beiswenger played one of his best games of the season, making 32 saves, including 13 in the second period.  He made several spectacular saves, keeping the game at hand.  Bashor, meanwhile, made 20 saves for St. Norbert.

Special teams were a factor, but only because the penalty killing units shut down the power plays.  Each team went 0-5 with the man advantage and each team took seven penalties for 14 minutes.

The 'Jackets close out the road portion of the 2008-09 schedule on Saturday night, when they travel to the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse to take on Lake Forest.  Game time on Saturday night is 7:35 p.m. and can be heard live locally on KUWS 91.3 FM, beginning with the pre-game show at 7:10 p.m.  If you are outside the local listening area, you can tune in via the Internet at www.kuws.fm.  Jon Garver will have the call.