SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State hockey team and the Bemidji State Beavers game on Saturday, Nov. 30 ended in a 2-2 tie following sixty minutes of regulation play and the first overtime period. In the second overtime period, which counts for Western Collegiate Hockey Association purposes, the Lakers earned the league's extra point as the team scored in the three-on-three frame to finish the game ahead by 3-2.
The first period between the Lakers and the Beavers ended in a scoreless tie. Laker goaltender Mareks Mitens stopped 12 shots while Bemidji's goalie Zach Driscoll stopped all five Lake State shots in the period.
The game remained scoreless until the 11:00 minute mark of the second period when Tyler Vold put the Beavers on the board when he scored his first goal of the season while on the power play. The play began following a Laker shorthanded rush up the ice when Aaron Miller skated in through the Lakers defensive zone and would skate around the net with the puck before finding his teammate Carter Jones open. Jones would connect a pass to Vold, who would take a shot from the blue line that would find its way through traffic to beat Mitens.
The second period would end with the Lakers trailing by a goal to the Beavers as Bemidji State held a 19-13 shot on goal advantage through the first forty minutes of play.
Early in the third period, Bemidji State would double its lead when Adam Brady would score the team's second power play goal of the game. Similar to the game's first goal, the Beavers were able to start a power play rush up the ice following a shorthanded chance by the Lakers. A two-on-one for the Beavers saw Owen Sillinger take the initial shot that was saved by Mitens but Brady was wide open to cash in on the rebound to give the Beavers a 2-0 lead at 1:44 of the period.
The Lakers would get on the board at 10:32 of the third period when Hampus Eriksson scored his third goal of the season to make it a 2-1 game. The play was a result of an offensive zone shift by Lake State with the team putting pressure on Driscoll and the Beavers defense. Eriksson would collect the puck outside the circle and hold onto the puck before taking the shot. Eriksson's wrist shot from just inside the blue line would beat Driscoll high. The goal was assisted by Pete Veillette and Alec Semandel.
Before the end of regulation, the Lakers would even the game at two when defenseman Lukas Kaelble scored his second goal of the season at 14:54 of the third period. The Lakers would start the break out from their defensive zone as Kaelble connected a pass to Pete Veillette in the neutral zone. Veillette would take the puck up the ice before sending a cross ice pass to Yuki Miura. Miura would fire the puck on goal and Kaelble, who was driving towards the Beavers net on the play, would redirect the shot past Driscoll to even the game at two.
The first sixty minutes of play and first overtime period would prove to not be enough time to decide the winner as regulation ended in a 2-2 tie.
In the second overtime period, which is played three-on-three and which counts for WCHA standings only, the Lakers would score on a goal by Hampus Eriksson. Eriksson's second goal of the night was assisted by Lukas Kaelble and Jacob Nordqvist.
Mitens finished the game with 31 saves while Driscoll stopped 25 shots by the Lakers in the game.
The Lakers will travel to Mankato, Minn. next weekend for a matchup against the No. 1 team in the country and fellow WCHA team, the Minnesota State Mavericks. The series is slated for a 8:07 p.m. EST start on Friday, Dec. 6 and a 7:07 p.m. EST puck drop on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Mankato Civic Center. Friday's game will include a watch party at Buffalo Wild Wings in Sault Ste. Marie.
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