BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Lake Superior State Hockey dropped the second game of a two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association series at No. 10 Bowling Green State 5-2 on Saturday night at Slater Family Ice Arena.
With the setback, Lake Superior State (6-3-1, 3-2-1-0 WCHA) split the weekend series at Bowling Green (8-3-2, 3-2-1-1 WCHA).
The Lakers fell behind 2-1 in the first period of play. Bowling Green got on the scoreboard first at 9:22 of the first period. The Lakers had successfully killed off one penalty, but immediately got another penalty to go a skater down. It was during the second consecutive Bowling Green power play that Alec Rauhauser scored on a wrist shot from the point.
The Lakers fought back and tied the game, 1-1, at 12:37 of the period. Bowling Green's goaltender Ryan Bednard (8-2-1) mishandled the puck behind his own net. Right winger Ashton Calder stole the puck and passed it to senior center Diego Cuglietta in the slot, who fired a high wrist shot that beat Bednard, who was trying to get back into position. The goal was Cuglietta's fifth of the season. Freshman defenseman Jacob Nordqvist also assisted on the play.
Neither team scored again until the final minute of the period. Rauhauser scored for the Falcons to put them back in front 2-1 at the 19:34 mark. During 4-on-4 play, Brandon Kruse skated the puck into the zone and passed the puck to the front of the net where a streaking Rauhauser reached out his stick and deflected the puck past the Lakers' goaltender Mareks Mitens (2-3-0).
Lake Superior State would score the only goal of the second period to make the score 2-2 going into the second intermission. Junior defenseman Collin Saccoman forced a turnover near the Bowling Green blue line. Steven Ruggiero got the puck and skated in alone on a breakaway, and he scored through Bednard's five hole for his second goal of the season.
However, the Lakers would not score again and the Falcons scored three times in the third period to make the final score 5-2. Will Cullen scored the game-winning goal at 8:44 of the third period. He fired a wrist shot from the point that got past a screened Mitens. Then, at the 16:15 mark, Taylor Schneider walked the puck from the right boards into the slot and scored on a wrist shot. The final goal was scored by Frederic Letorneau, who scored into an empty net at 18:17 as the Lakers had pulled Mitens for an extra skater.
Mitens and Bednard each made 21 saves in the game.
The special team units saw an abundance of ice time as there were 20 penalties called in the game — resulting in 18 power plays. The Lakers were 0-of-8 on the power play and the Falcons went 1-of-10.
Lake Superior State returns to Taffy Abel Arena for a two-game WCHA series against Northern Michigan next weekend. The games are scheduled for 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. Tickets may be purchased at the Norris Center Ticket Office or at lssulakers.com/tickets. For additional ticket information, call (906) 635-2602.
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