The Vikings started the game out strong, with center Kevin Arsenault scoring the first point of the game. UW scored their first point soon after with 17:56 left in the first period.

Goalie Tyler Zetting came to the Vikings’ aid, stopping the Huskies from scoring with just ten seconds left in the first period.

The Vikings were tied with the Huskies at the start of the second period with 1 goal each.

There was tension on the ice between the two teams. With 8:56 left in the second period, the crowd went crazy when right wing Jeff Bulger chipped the puck over a UW player and made a sliding dive, pushing the puck into the net.

“On the second goal, I passed to Jeff and he dove and somehow knocked it over the goalie,” defenseman Kyle Keller said. “I don’t know how the hell he got there.”

 With six minutes left in the second period, the Huskies tied the game again with 2 goals a piece.

At the end of the second period, the Huskies attempted another shot on the Vikings’ goal, but Zetting stopped the puck before it could enter the goal.

Then center JT Burris quickly took the puck down the rink toward the UW goal and slammed the puck but the UW goalie caught it in mid-air.

With four minutes left in the game, Western players attempted a goal, a couple of the players fell into the goal and a fight broke out, but was quickly broken up by the referees.

Defenseman Todd Coates scored the final goal of the game, bringing the Vikings hard-fought battle to a victorious end with a final score of 3-2.

“You get the nerves going a little bit and it’s always fun to play in front of the home crowd after a little trip away,” Bulger said.

The Vikings have played six away games in a row, winning all but one and returned home for this game.

“I thought overall, we out played them,” said coach John Dougan. “We deserved to win tonight.”

The Vikings have two games left this season, both at home. Their next game will be at 10:15 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24 against Central Washington University at the Bellingham Sportsplex.