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New Hampshire defeated Denver 5-2 Friday night in the second semifinal at the Northeast Regional at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH. Although UNH won, the game could have been costly for the second-seeded Wildcats.
Sophomore Grayson Downing took a hit in the second period that caused him to miss the rest of that period and the third. The Abbottsford, BC native has 15 goals and 16 assists on the season.
Junior Kevin Goumas, the team's leading scorer, took a huge hit in the neutral zone at the beginning of the third period that resulted in him missing the final 19 minutes of the game. The Long Beach, NY native has 10 goals and 32 assists for the year.
Denver's Nick Shore was ejected from the game after video review. The leading scorer for the Pioneers was called for contact to the head. Umile was visibly irritated following the hit and the referee eventually went to the monitor to review the play. Supposedly, according to DU coach George Gwozdecky, the referee said the linesman saw the play happen live and it was him who called the penalty. The rules state a referee can only review a penalty if it is to determine the identity of the offending player.
After the game, seniors Austin Block and John Henrion both alluded to the possibility of Downing and Goumas missing the game tomorrow. Head coach Dick Umile said both players will be evaluated Saturday morning.
Jeff Cox covers college hockey for SBNation. Follow him on twitter @JeffCoxSBNation.