SAULT STE MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State hockey team's offense propelled the team to a 7-2 win over the No. 19 Northern Michigan Wildcats in the first game of a weekend Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) series at the Taffy Abel Arena in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. on Friday, Dec. 10. With the victory, the Lakers hold a 10-10-1 overall record this season and a 6-6-0 mark in conference play.
Junior forward Dustin Manz scored a pair of goals to post his first career multi-goal game while Timo Bakos, Miroslav Mucha, Mitchell Oliver, Josh Nixon and Jake Willets rounded out the Laker goal scorers in the game. Sophomore goaltender Ethan Langenegger finished the game with 23 saves in his sixth win of the season.
Just 2:03 into the game, the Lakers took a 1-0 lead over the Wildcats when freshman Timo Bakos opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the season. Bakos' goal came following a play in the defensive end where the Lakers were able to regain possession of the puck after putting pressure on the Wildcats skaters along the boards. Bakos gathered the puck, chipped it off the boards to himself as he skated up the ice on an odd-man rush with Benito Posa. Bakos took a shot that was saved by NMU goaltender Rico DiMatteo but the rebound remained loose in front of the crease. Laker defenseman Jake Willets drove to the net on the play and tied up the stick of the Wildcat defender so that the team was unable to clear the puck. Bakos circled back on the play and sent a shot just under the crossbar for the game's first lead.
The Lakers doubled the lead at the 7:00 mark of the first period when Miroslav Mucha tallied his fourth goal of the season with his first career power play goal. In the closing seconds of the power play, the Laker unit was in the midst of an extended shift in the offensive zone. Senior defenseman Jacob Nordqvist held the puck in the corner along the boards before sending a pass to classmate Mitchell Oliver at the point. Oliver connected a pass to Mucha who skated into the circle and got off a sharp angle shot. On its way towards the Northern Michigan net, the puck changed direction as it deflected off an NMU skater who dropped down to block the shot, beating DiMatteo for a 2-0 lead.
Northern Michigan got on the board with a power play goal at 10:28 of the first period when AJ Vanderbeck scored to make it a 2-1 game. Hank Crone and Alex Frye recorded the assists
At 17:13 of the first period, the Lakers took a 3-1 lead when Oliver scored his second game winning goal of the season with a blast from the top of the circle. The play started in the neutral zone when Logan Jenuwine sent a cross ice pass to Josh Nixon. Nixon fed a pass to Oliver, who took a slapshot that beat DiMatteo as it went straight into the top corner of the net, marking the defenseman's third goal of the season.
After Oliver's goal, the Wildcats made a change in goal as DiMatteo was replaced by Charlie Glockner.
Manz scored his first goal of the game at 17:57 of the period, capping off the first twenty minutes' scoring. Sophomore forward Benito Posa forced a turnover in the offensive zone and chipped the puck to defenseman Jacob Bengtsson. Bengtsson took a shot from just inside the blue line and Manz redirected Bengtsson's shot from just outside Glockner's crease to give the team a 4-1 lead.
Freshman forward Josh Nixon extended the Lakers lead to four goals at 2:01 of the second period when he netted a four-on-four goal to make it a 5-1 game. The Lakers were on a power play in the time prior to the goal being scored, which allowed the team's offense to set up in the Wildcat zone. Freshman forward Dawson Tritt and junior forward Louis Boudon were the last two Lakers to touch the puck before the loose puck made its way to an open Nixon, who was on the doorstep. Nixon tapped the puck into the open net for his fifth goal of the season.
Northern Michigan added a power play goal at 4:09 of the second period to cut the deficit to three goals as Michael Colella scored for the Wildcats. The goal that made it a 5-2 game was assisted by Andre Ghantous and Trevor Cosgrove.
Manz scored his second goal of the game at 16:51 of the second period when he fired the puck towards the Wildcats net and it redirected in off of an NMU skater for a 6-2 lead. Manz's goal was assisted by sophomore forward Joshua Wildauer and Posa.
The Lakers completed the game's scoring at 14:31 of the third period when Jake Willets scored after he fired a slapshot that beat Glockner to put the team up by a score of 7-2. Manz and Mucha won a battle for the puck along the corner boards to get the puck to Nordqvist. Nordqvist got the puck back to Willets at the blue line and the junior defenseman sent a slapshot to score his second goal of the season.
The Lakers will close out the first half of the season tomorrow night as the team wraps up the weekend series against the Wildcats. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:07 p.m. at the Taffy Abel Arena in Sault Ste. Marie.
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