Delayed scoring in college hockey?

There are delayed penalties in hockey. But until Saturday, I didn’t realize there was also delayed scoring in the sport.

The University of Vermont celebrated victory 12 minutes after scoring what would be the game-winning goal during the second overtime of a 3-2 win over Air Force in the second round of the NCAA men’s hockey tournament — the Eilite Eight for pucks fans.

The bizarre conclussion to the tournament game forced an end to the Falcons’ season and the campaign of junior goalie Andrew Volkening, a former netminder in the Alaska Avalanche franchise.

Volkening had recorded his fourth straight shutout during a 2-0 victory and first-round upset of top seeded Michigan on Friday.

But on Saturday, it took video replay for on ice officials to see the final puck pass Volkening’s mits. According to the game story on www.uscho.com — the nation’s authority for college hockey — officials didn’t realize that Vermont defenseman Dan Lawson had actually scored at the 14:10 mark of the second overtime. The shotgun-like blast apparently burst through the twine and shot out the back of the net. Fore the complete story, see http://www.uscho.com/recaps/20082009/m/03/28/afa-uvm.php.

Volkening spent a season in Wasilla as the top netminder for the Wasilla Spirit, the squad that would become the Alaska Avalanche after the 2005-06 campaign. Volkening still holds several franchise records.

He’s one of two former Avalanche players with connections to the NCAA tournament. Former goalie Adam Kraus is the third goaltender at Boston University.

College basketball fans who yearn for the upset, may want to turn their attention from the court to the rink. Only one of the four No. 1 seeds in the 16-team tourney — Boston — will skate in the Frozen Four. Volkening led Air Force to the win over Michigan, the top seed in the East Region. The West’s top seed, Denver, was upset by Miami (Ohio) 4-2. And in another shocker, fourth-seeded Bemidji State stunned top-seeded Notre Dame in the first round of the Midwest Regional.

Bemidji State, the alma mater of fomer Colony HIgh standout Nathan Schwartzbauer, put five pucks past UND goalie Jordan Pierce, who is a native of Anchorage.

For those interested, Boston meets Vermont and Miami faces Bemidji State during the NCAA semfinals on April 9.

— Jeremiah Bartz