SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich.- Despite 39 saves by freshman goaltender Nick Kossoff and a late offensive surge, Lake Superior State fell 3-1 at home against No. 16 Bowling Green State in in the first game of the weekend Western Collegiate Hockey Association series.
The rookie, Kossoff, coming off his third career shutout, saved 39-of-41 shots and looked sharp in 59 minutes of work. Kossoff also helped the Lakers limit the league's fifth ranked power play unit to a 1-for-6 outing.
Bowling Green countered with Chris Nell, making his first start after missing the last three games due to injury. Nell won the battle by turning aside 24-of-25 shots by the Lakers (7-12-4, 4-5-4 WCHA).
Both teams fought a tight territorial battle during the first period, with the Falcons (13-5-5, 9-2-4 WCHA) capturing a slight advantage of 9-8 during the opening frame.
Mark Cooper gave the Falcons the first lead of the game after 11 minutes of play in the second period. BGSU freshman defenseman Jordan Ernst scooped up a clearing attempt by the Lakers' Ryan Renz and found Cooper in stride with a perfect pass. Cooper successfully deked Kossoff and tucked in the go-ahead marker.
The goal for Cooper was his ninth of the season and marked Ernst's first collegiate point.
Through two periods of work and 25 saves, Kossoff took the Lakers into the locker room within striking distance of a Falcons squad that's currently tied with Minnesota State in first place of the WCHA standings.
One minute and five seconds into the final period, Matt McArdle was whistled for interference and gave the Falcons their sixth power play of the night.
15 seconds later, the Falcons finally connected on the power play with a Brandon Hawkins shot from the blue line that found it's way past Kossoff.
The goal by Hawkins, his fifth of the season, would stand as the eventual game-winning goal and was assisted by Ben Murphy and Mark Friedman.
Three minutes and nine seconds later, Renz (1-2--3) put the Lakers on the board and brought the Taffy Abel crowd of 1,479 to their feet in jubilation. C.J. Hayes and J.T. Henke (6-8--14) tallied the assists on Renz's first goal of the season.
Renz's goal came during 4-on-4 play while Alex Globke and Sean Walker were in the penalty box for the first of two coincidental penalties called on the duo.
Globke and Walker were handed coincidental penalties for the second time, midway through the period.
Less than a minute after Globke and Walker were sent off for the second time, the officials called Gage Torrel for slashing and Connor McDonald for embellishment for the third coincidental penalties of the period.
The Lakers were unable to find the equalizer late in the game with Kossoff pulled in favor of the extra attacker and eventually gave up an empty-net goal to Tyler Spezia with 27 seconds remaining.
Spezia's goal, his seventh of the season, was assisted by Matt Pohlkamp and Walker and produced the final score of 3-1.
The teams will vie for the final two WCHA points available from the weekend Saturday at 7:07 p.m.
