SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State hockey team defeated the No. 10 Bowling Green Falcons in overtime by a final score of 3-2 on Saturday, Dec. 14 at Taffy Abel Arena.
The Lakers would score the game's first goal when Max Humitz scored his team-leading tenth goal at 7:10 of the first period to put Lake Superior ahead 1-0. The play began in the Lakers defensive zone when Humitz sent a pass up the ice to Pete Veillette in the neutral zone. Veillette would carry the puck through the offensive zone and begin to circle behind the Falcons goal before dropping a pass to Humitz. The Lakers captain, who dropped down to one knee to get the shot off, beat Bowling Green goaltender Eric Dop to put the Lakers on the board.
In the second period, the Lakers would get called for a pair of back-to-back penalties, which resulted in a five-on-three opportunity for Bowling Green. The Falcons were able to set up in the Lakers zone and their power play unit was able to move the puck well leading up to the game tying goal. Brandon Krause would connect a pass to Alex Barber, who was stationed at the top of the circle for a one-timer. Barber's shot on goal was saved by Lakers netminder Mareks Mitens but the rebound would dart out to Connor Ford. Ford was able to put the puck into the wide open net to tie the game at one at 8:23 of the second period.
Special teams would prove to be an important factor in the third period for the Falcons as Barber would tally a shorthanded goal to put Bowling Green ahead 2-1 at 2:27 of the third.
Humitz would notch his second goal of the game, and record his first two-goal game since Jan. 25, 2019, at 12:17 of the third period to tie the game. Louis Boudon would begin the play in the Falcons zone where he would find freshman Arvid Henrikson, who recorded his first collegiate point on the play, open at the blue line to take the shot on goal. Henrikson's shot was deflected off of Veillette's foot and bounced off of the goal post. The puck would shoot out to an open Humitz, who would dangle the puck around Dop to tuck the puck behind him for the game tying goal at 12:17 of the period.
The sixty minutes of regulation would prove to be not enough to settle the score and the two WCHA rivals would need overtime to decide a winner. The Lakers game winning goal was scored in the first overtime at 1:38 by Hampus Eriksson to give the Lakers a 3-2 victory. Jacob Nordqvist's pass from the defensive zone to senior forward Brayden Gelsinger would start the play. Gelsinger would skate in towards Dop before sending a drop pass to Eriksson who put the puck past the Falcons goalie to send the Lakers into the second half of the season on a high note.
Mitens finished the game with 31 saves to bring his weekend total to 64 saves against Bowling Green. In the pair of games, Mitens combined for a .954 save percentage and a 1.49 goals against average to lead the Lakers defensively in the weekend split.
Up Next
Following a two-week stretch without any games, the Lakers will resume play on Saturday, Dec. 28 and Sunday, Dec. 29 in Burlington, Vt. at the TD Bank Catamount Cup. The Lakers will play Providence in the first game at 4:00 p.m. and tournament host, Vermont, on the second day of play at 7:00 p.m.
For more information, visit lssulakers.com
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