SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State (LSSU) hockey program (10-11-1, 7-6-1 CCHA) emphatically picked up three more points in the CCHA standings after a dominant 5-1 showing over the visiting Northern Michigan Wildcats (7-10-2, 5-6-0 CCHA) to take the series lead in goal differential on Friday, simplifying all that is required for retaking the Cappo Cup to merely winning the final game of the series.
Both teams battled early on with the Lakers able to kill off a penalty, the first of three Wildcat opportunities that the LSSU penalty kill unit would successfully fend off. However, NMU would strike first after Michael Colella stole away the puck before scoring unassisted to give the Wildcats a 1-0 advantage heading into the first intermission.
Sixteen seconds after coming out of the break, Carter Batchelder (Savage, Minn.) finished off the play, scoring his sixth goal of the season while simultaneously being slashed by a Wildcat defender to draw a penalty as well with Joshua Wildauer (Dearborn Heights, Mich.) and Evan Bushy (Thief River Falls, Minn.) picking up the helpers. Branden Piku (Harrison Twp., Mich.) would then take advantage of the penalty drawn by Batchelder to give the Lakers their first lead of the night with a power-play goal at the 2:08 mark that turned out to be his second game-winner of the season after being set up by linemates Reagan Milburn (Kamloops, B.C.) and Luke Levandowski (Rosemount, Minn.). Jared Westcott (Imperial, Mo.) would then go on to slot home his team-leading 13th goal of the season after some friendly bounces on its way in to cap off a strong second period of action for LSSU with assists from sophomores Connor Milburn (Kamloops, B.C.) and Bryan Huggins (Grand Rapids, Mich.).
The Lakers wasted no time extending their lead in the third period, stealing another power-play goal in the final second of the extra-man advantage with a snipe from Captain Harrison Roy (Lakeville, Mass.) with helpers from Dawson Tritt (Spokane, Wash.) and Timo Bakos (Augsburg, Germany), and John Herrington (Hudson's Hope, B.C.) finished off the night, putting one more past NMU's Beni Halaz late in the game to put an exclamation point on the night.
Goaltender Ethan Langenegger (Kamloops, B.C.) picked up the win between the pipes after stopping 23 out of 24 shots he faced for a save percentage of .958. Meanwhile, the LSSU penalty kill unit was a perfect 3-3 while the Laker power play was successful on two of six opportunities.
With tonight's Laker victory coming by way of more than three goals, the Cappo Cup will now come down to the final game of the series with the winner taking home the trophy regardless of the margin of victory.
The Lakers will look to take back the Cappo Cup on Saturday, Jan. 13 with puck drop scheduled for 6:07 p.m.