In a scene straight out of a well-known movie, North Dakota fans at Ralph Engelstad Arena gave a loud ovation Sunday night for a senior taking the ice for the first time in his final home game.
UND led Michigan Tech 5-0 in the third period of Game 3 of their WCHA first round series when head coach Dave Hakstol replaced starting goaltender Clarke Saunders with Tate Maris. The third string senior goalie is a popular player among fans and teammates, however, Maris had never seen any regular season action.
As you can expect (and see in the video above), it was a move that was met well by fans.
Maris played a total of 4:02 Sunday night. North Dakota added a late goal by Brendan O'Donnell to defeat Michigan Tech 6-0 while the senior made a single save to combine with Saunders for a 28 save shutout.
Here's what Maris said after the game on Twitter.
What a blessing to get the chance to finish out with the guys. I got to live out a dream and I can't thank every fan and friend enough!
— Tate Maris (@TAT3MARI5) March 18, 2013
With the series win, North Dakota advances to the WCHA Final Five for the 11th straight year.