SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State hockey team fell to the Northern Michigan Wildcats by a final score of 5-1 on Saturday, Feb. 22 in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) game in the final regular season game at the Taffy Abel Arena during the 2019-20 season.
In the first period, the Lakers fell behind by a pair of goals to the Wildcats as Mitchel Slattery opened the game's scoring at 3:46 and Luke Voltin would add to the lead at 15:33 of the period to make it a 2-0 game in favor of Northern Michigan.
The Wildcats would score twice more in the second period to hold a 4-0 lead over the Lakers following the opening forty minutes of play. Both goals from Northern in the period were scored on the power play as Joseph Nardi and Griffin Loughran each netted a goal.
The Lakers would get on the board at 8:06 of the third period when freshman Louis Boudon notched his fifth goal of the season to make it a 4-1 game. The play started in the Lakers defensive zone as Alec Semandel tipped the puck up the boards to Max Humitz, who banked the puck up the boards to Boudon who would control the puck through the offensive zone. The freshman forward skated around the Wildcat defender and would send a backhand shot over the arm of Wildcat goaltender Nolan Kent.
Northern would seal the win at 19:22 of the third period with an empty net goal by Joseph Nardi to put the game out of reach for the Lakers, making it a 5-1 game.
Mitens would finish the game stopping 25 of the 29 shots he faced while Kent had a strong game for NMU, making 31 saves.
Despite the loss, the Lakers would take this year's Cappo Cup against the Wildcats winning the season series, by a goal differential of 7-6.
In a pregame ceremony, the team's six seniors - Bryan Basilico, Brayden Gelsinger, Max Humitz, Ian Johnston, Brendan McKay, and Collin Saccoman - were honored as they took the ice at the Taffy Abel Arena for one final home game.
The Lakers will play their final regular season series next weekend against Ferris State in Big Rapids, Mich. on Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, Feb. 29. Friday's game against the Bulldogs will begin at 7:07 p.m. while Saturday's game is set for a 6:07 p.m. puck drop.
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