Updated Oct. 22, 2016
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Two goals each by sophomore Diego Cuglietta and freshman Braydon Gelsinger propelled Lake Superior State to their third-straight victory to start the season. The 6-3 victory in their Western Collegiate Hockey Association season debut came on the road at Alabama-Huntsville.
The Lakers (3-0-0, 1-0-0 WCHA) have now scored at least six goals in each of their three victories to open the season, marking the most goals by the Lakers since posting 18 goals in three-straight games in 2009-10. During a five-game winning streak that season, the Lakers posted 25 goals.
Cuglietta led the Lakers with a three-point outing, scoring a pair of goals (one shorthanded), including the game-winner, and assisting on another. All three points came in the second period. The Kamloops, B.C., native also finished with a +3 rating.
Gelsinger opened the scoring a minute into play and later scored his second of the night mid-way through the second period. Gelsinger now has three goals and three assists in his first three collegiate games.
Also factoring in the scoresheet for the Lakers, Gage Torrel (3-2--5) put the Lakers ahead 2-1 with his first period power-play goal and later assisted on Gelsinger's second goal.
J. T. Henke (3-2--5) scored with 1:41 left in the middle frame to give the Lakers their sixth goal. Cuglietta and junior defenseman Kyle Chatham each registered their only assists of the night on the final LSSU goal.
Freshman defenseman Collin Saccoman (0-3--3) scored two points for his first career multi-point game.
Sophomore forward Jake Hand returned from a preseason injury for his first action of the season and tallied an assists
Sophomores Mitch Hults (1-5--6) and Owen Headrick (1-6--7) continued their point streaks, with Hults tallying a pair of assists and Headrick recording one assist. LSSU captain Gus Correale and assistant captain Aidan Wright each tallied one assist as well.
The Lakers took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission before Josh Kestner scored his first goal of the season, 3:34 into the second period, cutting the LSSU lead in half. The Lakers closed the second period with four goals in under eight minutes to take a commanding 6-1 lead into the final 20 minutes.
Jordan Larson and Brandon Salerno each added goals for the Chargers (2-4-1, 2-2-1 WCHA) in the third period, but UAH could not mount the come-back as Gordon Defiel finished with 28 saves in his third-straight victory.
Matt Larose made the start in net for UAH, but allowed all six of the Lakers' goals on 25 shots faced and was replaced by Jordan Uhelski to start the third period. Uhelski turned aside all six shots from the Lakers in the third period.
Both sides tied with 31 shots on goal. The Lakers' power play hit once in three opportunities, while the penalty killers blanked the Chargers on all five attempts by UAH with the man advantage. The Lakers have now killed 22-of-23 power plays attempted against them for a 95.7 penalty killing percentage.
The victory marks the first three conference points for the Lakers in the month of October since joining the WCHA in 2013-14. Friday's game also marked the first 3-0-0 start for the Lakers since starting that 2013-14 season 4-0-1.
The Lakers and Chargers conclude the series at 8:07 p.m. ET on Saturday evening.