MARQUETTE, Mich. -- A two-goal flurry during a 40-second span early in the third period led Lake Superior State to a 3-0 hockey victory at Northern Michigan Saturday.
Lake Superior State (8-24-2, 7-18-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) out-willed the Wildcats (17-17-6, 11-11-4 WCHA) through much of the night. The teams battled through the first two periods scoreless before the Lakers broke out with a three-goal third period.
Gordon Defiel started his 21st consecutive game in net for the Lakers and earned his 25th straight decision on the year. Once again the Wildcats matched with Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. native Michael Doan in net. Defiel picked up his fourth career shutout while wearing the anchor. Defiel made 39 saves in the victory and guided the Lakers in their success on the evening.
The Lakers were unable to convert their two power-play opportunities in the first period. During the first power play, Matt Johnson (0-5--5) tipped a shot by Eric Drapluk (3-5--8) that went just wide. The Lakers received another great opportunity during their second power play, but Chris Ciotti (4-6--10) was unsuccessful in trying to sneek the puck past a sprawling Doan as the penalty to Cohen Adair trickled away.
The Lakers and Wildcats went through the first period scoreless while the visiting Lakers out-numbered the Wildcats in shots, 18-10. The Lakers had the only two power-play opportunities during the opening frame.
The game remained tied through the second period as the Lakers held on to a slim lead in the shot tally, 31-29. Jayson Angus (1-2--3), who did not dress during the first game of the series and was a plug-and-play forward for the Lakers and provided a big spark in the second game, had perhaps the best opportunity for the Lakers during the middle frame. Angus robbed a streaking Wildcats player along the boards and continued to hug the barrier as he brought the puck behind Doan and laid it in the crease for a jabbing duo of Laker forwards.
The Lakers were successful in killing off 55 seconds of a penalty at the beginning of the third period. At 5:08 of the final period Alex Globke (5-5--10) gave the Lakers a 1-0 lead and the game's first goal. Globke's tally was the product of a two-on-one breakout by the Lakers as Ciotti shuffled a perfect pass through the NMU defenseman's legs, and Globke slammed it away for his fifth goal of the year.
Angus picked up his first career goal as a Laker while putting the visitors up 2-0, just 39 seconds after Globke's game-winner. Senior alternate captain Stephen Perfetto (9-7--16) picked up the only assist on Angus's goal.
After picking off a dump-in opportunity, Perfetto went coast-to-coast and sniped a shot across the net from where Doan was sliding in an attempt to close off the goal.
Lake Superior State concludes its regular season March 6-7 against Ferris State at home. The Lakers will be honoring their three seniors following the second game against the Bulldogs.