Of all the boggling numbers put up by the hockey teams from Michigan and North Dakota, perhaps no statistic was more improbable than this: Michigan scored two goals within the first 58 seconds of each of the first two periods and still managed to lose.

Two of the top offenses in college hockey lived up to their high-scoring reputations in the second game of the West Regional on Saturday at the Pepsi Center, as North Dakota outpaced the second-seeded Wolverines for an 8-5 victory.

The teams combined for seven goals in the first period to break a single-period scoring record for an NCAA regional game, and the teams’ 13 combined goals matched the most ever in a regional contest.

North Dakota’s victory sets up a rematch with Western Collegiate Hockey Association rival Minnesota in the regional final on Sunday (4, Altitude). The Fighting Sioux (23-13-5) recorded a sweep at Minnesota during the regular season but lost in overtime against the Golden Gophers in the WCHA tournament final last week.

"I don’t know if that game can be summed up with a short comment," North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol said. "It was a wild and crazy game for the first 25 or 30 minutes. We didn’t get off to a good start defensively."

Michigan held a 3-1 lead after the first 5 minutes, but the Fighting Sioux scored three consecutive goals late in the first period to take a 4-3 edge at the break.

The Wolverines (26-14-1) began the second period just as they started the first, getting two quick goals from T.J. Hensick and Andrew Cogliano to recapture the lead. But too many Michigan penalties created too many opportunities for North Dakota, which finished 5-for-8 on power-play chances.

Two of those five goals occurred during the Fighting Sioux’s three-goal flurry that closed the second, giving North Dakota a 7-5 edge at the second intermission.

T.J. Oshie, who finished with three goals and one assist, iced the win for North Dakota with a short-handed, empty-net goal with 2 minutes, 11 seconds remaining. Chris Porter scored two goals for the Fighting Sioux and Ryan Duncan, the nation’s leading scorer, contributed three assists.

After a slow start, North Dakota goaltender Philippe Lamoureux kept the Fighting Sioux in the game with several strong saves in the second period, including a stop against Hensick on a breakaway late in the frame.

"Lamoureux got off to a poor start, but he really showed a great deal of mental toughness to battle back," Hakstol said. "I thought he provided the real turning point with the breakaway save on T.J. Hensick. I really liked the way the guys found a way to get the job done."

Michigan’s comeback bid in the third period was thwarted when Hensick was sent to the penalty box for 10 minutes for a misconduct penalty with 12:26 remaining. The nation’s leading scorer and a third-round draft pick of the Avalanche in 2005, Hensick could only watch while his teammates unsuccessfully attempted to rally.

With his college eligibility complete, Hensick likely will soon begin negotiations with the Avalanche about beginning his professional career.

"It was extremely frustrating, considering I didn’t think I deserved the penalty," said Hensick, who finished with two goals and an assist. "For the ref to do what he did and take me out of the game for 10 minutes in a critical situation?I wasn’t happy to be sitting in the box. The referee has to try and take control of the game, I just think he should have done it early on."

North Dakota 4 3 1—8

Michigan 3 2 0—5

First period—1, UM, K. Porter 24 (Hensick 46, Johnson 22), :26; 2, UM, Summers 6 (Cogliano 26), :58; 3, ND, C. Porter 9 (VandeVelde 5, Genoway 13), pp, 3:05; 4, UM, Hensick 22 (Rohlfs 17, Johnson 23), 4:58; 5, ND, C. Porter 10 (B. Miller 14, Genoway 14), pp, 14:36; 6, ND, Oshie 14 (Duncan 24, Lee 22), 16:28; 7, ND, Toews 17 (Bina 21, Duncan 25), pp, 18:47. Penalties—Kolarik, UM (tripping), 2:47; Oshie, ND (cross checking), 10:06; Johnson, UM (contact to head), 14:28; Naurato, UM (roughing), 17:24; Hunwick, UM (interference), 17:46; B. Miller, ND (diving), 18:50. Summers, UM (high sticking), 18:50; Lamoureux, ND (slashing), 20:00.

Second period—8, UM, Hensick 23 (K.Porter 34, Hunwick 21), pp, :14; 9, UM, Cogliano 24 (unassisted), :58; 10, ND, Bina 9 (Oshie 32), pp, 3:16; 11, ND, Kaip 5 (Watkins 10, C. Porter 17), 4:53; 12, ND, Oshie 15 (Bina 22, Duncan 26), pp, 8:03. Penalties—Lebler, UM (slashing), 3:11; Summers, UM (contact to head), 7:40; Bina, ND (hooking), 11:15; Kolarik, UM (hooking), 12:27; Johnson, UM (unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:12; Finley, ND (holding), 16:36.

Third period—13, ND, Oshie 16 (unassisted), sh, 17:49. Penalties—Hensick, UM (10-minute misconduct), 7:34; Watkins, ND (tripping), 16:41.

Shots—ND, 14-9-4—27; UM, 7-13-14—34. Saves—ND (Lamoureux 29); UM (Sauer 19). Power plays—ND, 5-for-8. UM, 1-for-5. A—11,171.