SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — Max Humitz scored two goals, and Nick Kossoff made 32 saves as No. 18 Lake Superior State defeated Bemidji State 5-2 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association play on Friday night at Taffy Abel Arena.
With its 16th win of the season, Lake Superior State (16-7-2, 11-6-2-0 WCHA) has won its most games in a season since 2013-14.
After a scoreless first period in which shots were 13-10 in favor of Bemidji State (12-12-3, 10-8-1-0 WCHA), Lake Superior State outscored the Beavers 3-1 in the second period. The Beavers' Nick Cardelli scored the first goal of the night at 3:19 of the stanza. However, exactly one minute later, Humitz, a junior forward, scored his first goal of the night to tie the game at 1-1 at the 4:19 mark. Junior defenseman Collin Saccoman, who entered the evening as the leading goal scorer among WCHA defensemen this season, tallied his eighth goal of the campaign — a 4-on-4 marker — to give Lake Superior State a 2-1 lead at 10:24 of the second period. Humitz then added his second goal of the game — the game winner — at 14:13 of the period.
In the third period, the Lakers outscored the Beavers 2-1 to win the game 5-2. Junior center Brendan McKay scored a shorthanded goal to increase the Lake State lead to 4-1 at 12:24 of the period. Bemidji State's Owen Sillinger made the score 4-2 with a goal at the 15:38 mark, but sophomore winger Yuki Miura scored his first collegiate goal for Lake Superior State at 16:41 to make the final score 5-2.
Senior centers Diego Cuglietta and Gage Torrel each garnered two assists in the game for the Lakers. McKay, freshman wingers Ashton Calder and Pete Veillette and junior defenseman Steven Ruggiero each tallied one assist on the night.
Kossoff (12-3-2), a senior netminder, made a season-high 32 saves for the Lakers, while Zach Driscoll (7-6-1) stopped 25 shots for the Beavers.
With his two goals, Humitz has now tallied eight goals and seven assists for 15 points over his last eight games played.
Cuglietta, a 2019 Hobey Baker Award nominee, is now up to 26 points (17-9--26) with his two assists on the evening. Senior winger Anthony Nellis (11-12--23) joins Cuglietta on the 2019 Hobey Baker Award ballot. Fans are allowed to cast a vote for one player each day by going to https://www.hobeybaker.com/vote.
Lake Superior State resumes its two-game WCHA series with Bemidji State at 7 p.m. on Saturday night at Taffy Abel Arena. Tickets may be purchased at the Norris Center Ticket Office or online. For additional ticket information, call (906) 635-2602.
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Watch head coach Damon Whitten's postgame interview below.