BOISE, Idaho - Competing in their first ever American Collegiate Hockey Conference West Regional Tournament, the East Texas Baptist University Tigers pulled off a thrilling, 5-4, overtime victory against California State University-Northridge. ETBU is 22-4-1 overall.
 
Five ETBU players would score a goal, including Timothy Zittel, who netted the overtime winner while Riley Knott, Davis VanGemerden, Albert Wiggins, and Brendan Laing found the back of the net. Both Ryan Gruszka and Filip Soderstrom each dished out two assists. Tyler Fitzgerald stopped 34 of 38 shots in net.  
 
Just 79 seconds into the game, ETBU would put the first score on the board as Knott made it 1-0. ETBU kept the Matadors scoreless for the next 13 minutes before CSUN tied the game at one (4:58). CSUN then went in front in the second period (16:28) to grab a 2-1 lead. After struggling to find some goals for the next 13 minutes, ETBU left for the second intermission ahead 3-2 on goals by Wiggins (3:14) and VanGemerden (0:31).  
 
It took nearly three minutes into the third period for the Matadors to even the score at three (17:18). Five minutes later, they retook the lead, 4-3, with 12:14 to go. With under five minutes to play, the Tigers finally put the tying goal in courtesy of Laing (4:45). Neither team would score as the game went into overtime. It marked the second time this season that both teams would meet in sudden death to determine the winner. That goal would come from Zittel just over two minutes into the session as ETBU secured the victory.  

ETBU will take on Metropolitan State University - Denver at 2:00 PM central time in the second round of the West Regional on Friday.