That was all it took for Shawn Skelly, a First-Team All-American, to turn the momentum of the contest around, net the eventual game-winner, and bring a four-year odyssey to the brink of completion.

At the end of the day, Adrian College (25-3-1) and Oswego State (23-5-0) did play a thrilling NCAA semifinal Friday afternoon. But, after jumping out to a 2-0 lead after one period, the Bulldogs watched the Lakers battle back and make it a game with two second-period power play goals, getting within one at 3-2 when the period concluded.

NCAA SEMIFINAL PHOTO GALLERY

And then the second intermission hit. The fans could sense it. There was a feeling around Ridder Arena that the realization was this - the Bulldogs had the lead and were 20 minutes away from the right to play for the NCAA National Championship.

Then, before you could even get seated, Ian Boots silenced the Adrian crowd with a great goal to make it 3-3 just 78 seconds into the final period. A real momentum-turner in a game full of them.

Facing the thought of elimination was not even an option. Just over a minute later, Eric Miller found the puck on his stick after a lucky bounce. He fed Skelly, who skated toward the net with his opportunity.

Nothing but the back of the net. 4-3 Adrian. Momentum regained.

“As soon I turned my head at the blue line, I saw Miller skating up and the one defenseman was a step back,” Skelly said. “Once he dropped, the other guy bit pretty hard and gave me a bit of room. The goalie kind of slid along with me as I was going to the right and I just put one back to the left side. It was all good from there.”

The defense did the rest, holding Oswego scoreless the final 17-plus minutes of the game. Goalie Brad Fogal (pictured at left) was at his best in the period, making 10 of his 39 total saves, including several on a two-minute power play with just over eight minutes left in the game.

“Obviously, it was a huge boost for our team,” Skelly said of the goal. “It was a huge boost for me and the rest of the boys. Just to get back in it after they tied the game real early. We needed something – we needed a boost. That was the turning point.”

The Bulldogs would net a final goal, getting an empty-netter from Mike Towns with under a minute to play to round out the scoring in the 5-3 decision.

A little more than four years ago, none of this existed. No rink, no players, no equipment … just a coach with big dreams. And now the team has come full circle in what is certainly close to an unprecedented feat in college athletics.

“This was our goal when I started this program with Mike Duffy and President Docking,” head coach Ron Fogarty said. “Obviously, everyone’s goal is to win a National Championship. And now we have given ourselves the opportunity to be 60 minutes away tomorrow.”

In just four hockey seasons, the list of accomplishments is staggering – four league titles, four Harris Cups, the MCHA’s first-ever bid into the NCAA Tournament, 102 victories in 115 games. Over 700 goals. And now this, as the Bulldogs will take on St. Norbert College for the NCAA championship Saturday night.

“The guys were resilient today,” Fogarty said. “Brad Fogal is playing excellent right now and we have a guy like Shawn Skelly clicking on all cylinders, so we have what we need - a chance to win a hockey game.”

That opportunity is up next, as the puck will drop at Ridder Arena Saturday at 7 p.m. against a Green Knights team that will be playing in its fifth NCAA Division III championship game in eight years.