Ryan Ouelette 34 saves for NMU
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The NMU hockey team dropped a heart breaker on Friday night vs the Falcons, falling 3-2 in overtime.
The Wildcats battled all night, tying the game twice and ultimately sending this one to overtime. It started with Rasmus Larsson (1-0–1) scoring his first career collegiate goal to open the scoring in the third period, tying the game at 1-1 off a wicked wrist shot. Colby Browne (0-1–1) picked up his first career collegiate point with an assist on Larsson’s goal.
Then, down 2-1 with two minutes left, the ‘Cats pulled their netminder for an extra attacker. Captain Tanner Latsch (4-1–5) found a rebound in the crease and scored with a minute left to send the game to overtime.
Jakub Altrichter made a great play in the extra frame, beating a defender and forcing the Falcons to take a penalty, giving the Cats an opportunity to win on the man advantage, but the Wildcats were unable to convert on the opportunity. Not long after the penalty expired, the Falcons forced a turnover and scored on an odd-man rush, surviving overtime and escaping with a win.
Danny Ciccarello (0-4–4), Anthony Cliche (3-1–4), and Altrichter (3-12–15) all picked up an assist.
Ryan Ouellette made 34 saves on the evening, posting a .919 SV%.
The Falcons outshot the Wildcats 37-24, both teams were unsuccessful on their man-advantage opportunities, and the ‘Cats held a slight advantage in faceoff wins with 31 to 28.
Both Jackson Niedermayer (2-5–7) and Ethan Scardina (4-5–9) recorded a goal and assist, and Christian Stoever made 22 saves (.917 SV%).
The ‘Cats are back in action for Yooper Night tomorrow from the Berry Events Center, with puck drop set for 6:07 p.m.
How It Happened
Both teams had a power play opportunity in the first frame. The Falcons held an 18-3 shot advantage, but the score remained tied at 0-0 after 20 minutes of play.
The ‘Cats found a spell of sustained offensive pressure and had some momentum before being whistled with a penalty, giving the Falcons its second man-advantage of the evening near the halfway mark of the second frame. After a kill with excellent positioning and a key block, the ‘Cats returned to full strength unscathed.
The ‘Cats got an opportunity with a man-advantage chance of its own. The ‘Cats had a flurry of chances in the first thirty seconds, forcing Stoever to make a handful of key saves. Hutchinson had an abbreviated breakaway that was poke-checked away by the Bowling Green netminder, Latsch had a one-timer from the slot denied, and the Falcons found a way to survive the Wildcats best offensive flurry of the evening.
The Falcons broke through late in the first period to take the game’s first lead. A shot from the sidewall got blocked on the way through and took a deflection to the glove-side corner of Ouellette. As Ouellette was sliding back to the post, the defenseman Pasanen found the loose puck and fired a shot off the rear end of the NMU netminder that bounced behind him and across the goal line.
The ‘Cats came out of the intermission and tied the game within the first couple of minutes. Ciccarello corralled a rebound in the left corner and walked over top the circle. He dropped a weave pass to Larsson who walked into the circle and fired a shot to the far side past the glove hand of Stoever and inside the post.
Less than two minutes later the Falcons would get it back. A harmless shot from the right sidewall was easily handled and directed toward the left corner. On its way to safety, it hit the shinpad of a Falcon and redirected into the net, and the Falcons regained its one-goal lead.
The Wildcats pulled Ouellette with two minutes to go, and it paid off. Cliche fired a shot from the point and Stoever gave up a rebound in the slot. Latsch was Johnny-on-the-spot to collect the loose change and beat the outstretched glove hand of Stoever, effectively sending the game to overtime.
Altrichter made a great move to beat his defender and streak in on a breakaway, forcing BG to take a penalty. The Cats then had a power play opportunity in overtime. The ‘Cats had multiple good looks to win but were ultimately unsuccessful, and the Falcons responded. Scardina took the puck away from a Wildcat defender to spring Niedermayer on a two-on-one. The senior forward took his shot and beat Ouellette over the glove hand.
