The crowd was roaring as the fourth overtime was underway. The score was tied up with two apiece, as UMD desperately tried to defeat their longtime rival, the University of North Dakota. 4:37 into the period, Zach Stejskal felt as if he couldn’t stand up. He was helped off of the ice after saving 57 shots and playing 124 minutes and 37 seconds.

Stejskal is a Cohasset-native and a freshman addition to the Bulldogs this year. So far, he has recorded eight starts during his rookie season. Before the game against UND, he had recorded a 1.98 goals-against average (GAA) and a .923 save percentage. 

Stejskal has been playing hockey since he was about three years old. Throughout his childhood, he mostly played goalie, only taking a break to try defense before returning back to the paint. He also grew up watching his siblings play hockey. His sister played throughout high school, and his brother played Division III hockey for UW-Stout. In addition to his siblings, his dad grew up playing hockey for fun. His dad also used to flood an area in the winter for him and his siblings to play on, during which he got accustomed to playing goalie.

“I volunteered to get in the net,” Skejskal said, reflecting back on playing with his siblings. “I definitely had some encouragement from my older siblings so they had a goalie to shoot on.”

Stejskal grew up playing hockey for Grand Forks, like previous UMD goaltender Hunter Shepard. He was a part of the state-winning team in 2017 for Grand Rapids and knew that he wanted to continue his hockey career with UMD.

“I can honestly say that I never considered anywhere else [other than UMD],” Stejskal said. “It's just such a great program, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.”

Even though Stejskal has split the season with his goalie partner Ryan Fanti, he has put up impressive stats against tough opponents. Prior to the game against North Dakota, Stejskal played the last two regular season games against St. Cloud. In that series, he recorded a .915 save percentage, stopping 54 of 59 shots. 

Among the many memorable moments with this unusual season, the regional final against North Dakota will stand out for the freshman goalie. Stejskal ended the night with a .966 save percentage and played 124 minutes and 37 seconds. It was during the fourth overtime in which Stejskal had to pull out due to an injury. 

“I was cramping up extremely bad,” Stejskal said. “After the game, I took myself out and I had to be with an IV bag for about three hours, so that was not fun.”

Postgame, Stejskal was so dehydrated that he was put on IV fluid and was nearly taken to the hospital after they ran out. He also missed the team photo after Luke Mylymok’s unassisted goal 2:14 into the fifth overtime period. It also took him a few days to fully recover after the longest game in NCAA tournament history. 

The 3-2 win over North Dakota advanced the Bulldogs into the Frozen Four for the fourth consecutive year. They will face University of Massachusetts in the first round for a chance to defend their national championship title.