The University of North Dakota goaltender Zach Driscoll nearly became the first goaltender in his team's history to score a goal.  It happened this past Saturday, February 12th at the Ralph Englestad Arena in Grand Forks, when UND was going for the series sweep over Colorado College.

According to an article in the Grand Forks Herald, with 90 seconds remaining in the game and UND facing an extra attacker, the UND netminder took a shot on goal and quickly transitioned to his own shot.  Driscoll made the save on a shot near the point and then quickly attempted his own shot on the empty Colorado College net.

The puck literally missed the open net by inches.  Again, no UND goalie has ever scored a goal before.  In fact, only four goalies in NCAA history have ever shot a goal directly into the opposing net before.  The jam-packed crowd in Grand Forks nearly witnessed history.

Hockey truly is a game of inches.  The UND goalie said when the puck left his stick he thought it was going in 100%.  That was Driscoll's first-ever attempt at scoring a goal. The last NCAA goaltender to achieve this feat was Northern Michigan's Atte Tolvanen in 2018.  Other goalies who have also lit the lamp before by shooting the puck into the opposing net include Mitch Gillam of Cornell back in 2013, Mike Mantua from Western Michigan back in 2002, and Chad Alban from Michigan State in 1998.  Here's a look at that near-miss goal that would've put Driscoll in the UND record books.



 

 

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