Penn State, the nation's second-highest scoring team going into the playoffs, scored the final seven goals in a 10-3 rout over Union in a semifinal game of the Midwest Regional at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati.
Chase Berger broke a 3-all tie for the Nittany Lions (25-11-2) with his second goal of the game at 9 minutes, 35 seconds of the middle period. Teammate Dylan Richard made it 5-3 at 14:13.
Any comeback hopes the Dutchmen (25-10-3) had were dashed early in the third when Penn State scored three more times in the first eight minutes. Nate Sucese and Denis Smirnov got even-strength goals and Nikita Pavlychev added a power-play goal.
Denver 5, Michigan Tech 2: The Pioneers (30-7-4) looked like the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament in the opening period, taking a 4-0 lead in the first semifinal of the Midwest Regional.
Colin Staub, a sophomore forward from Colorado Springs, had two power-play goals in the period and Emil Romig and Will Butcher had the other two goals. The four goals in the first period tied a Midwest Regional record.
Tyson McLellan made it 5-0 Denver at 6:26 of the second. Michigan Tech (23-15-7), which got an automatic NCAA tournament berth by winning the WCHA tournament, staged a bit of a rally late later in the middle period with two goals. Gavin Gould got the Huskies' first goal on a power-play at 14:04 and, with five second left in the period, Jake Lucchini scored.
East final
Harvard 3, Air Force 2: The Crimson (28-5-2) took a 3-0 lead midway through the second period and weathered a Falcons' comeback to win the East Regional at Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. Tyler Moy's power-play goal made it 3-0 at 9:50 of the second. Only 1:33 later, Brady Tomlak scored for Air Force (27-10-5) and, 15 seconds after that, teammate Jordan Himley got a power-play goal.
