Husky Assistant Captain Sean O’Brien, despite not being one hundred
percent due to illness, played a critical role in the Huskies taking the lead
back in the second period over Western Washington University (WWU).
His game tying short handed goal evened the score, and dealt the assist
on the go ahead goal as the Huskies prevailed 5-3 over the WWU Vikings
in front of a packed OlympicView Arena.

The Dawgs would take the early lead in the first, as the Vikings created a
second bench across from them on the ice. Penalties haunted the Vikings
early in the game, and Washington center Brett Lawrence made them pay
for it with only 4 minutes ticked off the game clock. Defenseman TJ
Anderson dropped the assist, and the Dawgs had a quick 1-0 advantage.

However, the Huskies had a hard time keeping the momentum and the
pressure on the Vikings. The Vikings would tie the game late in the first
period, as Viking defenseman Matt Kline would put a dancing puck away
past Washington goalie Matt Harrow. The puck found itself in every corner
of the crease, and then rolling on top of the UW goal. The puck fell to the
ice, as Kline was able to finally get it past Harrow who was diving all over
the crease in an attempt to cover.

Western would add another goal within thirty seconds of the start of the
second period, as a blue line blast would find the back of the net.
Western kept the pressure on, as both teams were delivering checks. A
continued meltdown by the Dawgs led to a breakaway goal for WWU’s
Alex Cormier. With the 3-1 lead, the Vikings seemed to be in control of the
game.

Down by two goals, the rust from holiday break finally started to drop off
the Dawgs and they began look more like themselves.

Sasha Alic started the Husky comeback by putting a perfect pass on the
stick of a streaking Charlie Walters. Walters kept his blade on the ice and
redirected the pass past WWU goalie Collin Christianson.

Looking for the equalizer, Washington only had to look as far as its most
prolific scoring duo this season of Brett Lawrence and Sean O’Brien.

Playing down a man with eight minutes gone in the second period, the
Dawgs took a face-off in the Western offensive zone. Lawrence was able
to win the face-off and passed it over to Sean O’Brien. With a 360-degree
spin, O’Brien was able to put just enough on it to get past Christanson,
and finally tie up the game.

“Brett [Lawrence] nudged it over and I had a clean shot,” said O’Brien
after the game. “I got into position and ripped it…I got killed for it too.”

The goal only knotted the score at three a piece, but the momentum that
it carried took the Huskies through the rest of the second period.
Lawrence and O’Brien switched their names on the score sheet for the go
ahead goal, where O’Brien found Lawrence on a cross-ice one timer and
shelved the Vikings for good.

The Dawgs would add a power play goal in the third by O’Brien, assisted
by Michael Spector and Adam Senta, closing out the scoring and closing
the book on the contest.