Gramme stops 33 shots for Wildcats
MARQUETTE, Mich. — After the Wildcats were leading 3-1 early in the third period, the St. Thomas Tommies scored three unanswered goals, escaping Marquette with a 4-3 win.
The Wildcats (1-19-0, 1-11-0 CCHA) got two goals from Caiden Gault and a tally from Michael Burchill, giving NMU a 3-1 lead in the third. Netminder William Gramme made 33 saves on the evening, his sixth-straight game with 33+ saves.
Caige Sterzer for St Thomas (9-7-3, 6-3-2 CCHA) scored in the second period, and three straight from Hayes Hundley, Alex Gaffney, and capped off by a buzzer-beater from Lucas Wahlin lifted the Tommies over the Wildcats. Carsen Musser made 13 saves in his back-to-back start.
It was a slow start to the first, as both teams combined for just one shot on goal in the first five minutes. The game got going after that, starting with the go ahead goal from senior alternate captain Gault, who scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season after finishing off a great net-front drive from junior Girts Silkalns. The period ended with a trio of back-to-back-to-back power plays. The Wildcats smothered both of St. Thomas’ man advantages, limiting the Tommies to just one shot on target from both power plays.
St. Thomas came out of the first period break and evened the game, as Caige Sterzer scored his first of the year and first in 22 games, capitalizing on an NMU turnover. Both teams had a chance on the power play that weren’t successful, and then freshman Michael Burchill took advantage of a UST turnover, scoring his fourth of the season to give the ‘Cats a one-goal lead heading into the final period.
The ‘Cats took a two-goal lead thanks to Gault’s second of the night two and a half minutes into the third period, and the Wildcats were on their way to earning a weekend split.
But St. Thomas wasn’t going down without a fight, as Hundley scored at four-on-four to bring the Tommies within one. A handful of minutes later, after three unsuccessful attempts on the man-advantage, Gaffney scored his only goal – and the Tommies only power play goal – of the weekend, and the game was tied with seven minutes remaining.
The Wildcats got an opportunity on a man-advantage of its own shortly after, and Gault nearly gave the ‘Cats another lead and completed his hat-trick, as he fired a shot past the screened Musser, but it rang off the crossbar and out.
Time dwindled down after the man advantage and it looked like this game was headed to overtime. The Tommies crashed the net with only a handful of seconds remaining, and after Gramme made three consecutive saves in a mad scramble, the loose puck somehow kicked out to Wahlin, who walked down the slot and scored with one second remaining.
‘Cat Nips
- Gault (10-0–10) continued his scoring streak, tallying his team-leading ninth and tenth goals, and fifth goal in four games.
- Burchill (4-1–5) moves into sole possession of second on the team in goals scored, tallying his fourth of the season.
- Silkalns (1-4–5) finds himself on a good run of form on the score sheet, as his assist tonight gives him four points in the last five games (goal and three assists in that stretch).
- Anthony Cliche (0-2–2) recorded the secondary assist on the Gault goal, the blue liners’ first point since the third game of the season
- The Tampa Bay draft pick defenseman, Clark (1-3–4), now has three points in his last four games played.
- Bettens (0-5–5) notched his second assist in three games.
- Gramme made 33 saves on the evening, his sixth-consecutive game making 33+ saves.
- The Wildcats only gave up one power play goal all weekend, going 6/7 (85.7%). The ‘Cats penalty killing units are 13/14 (92.9%) in its last four games.
How It Happened
The Wildcats opened the scoring halfway through the first period, as Cliche played a stretch pass to Gault at the far blueline. Gault gained the line and played a pass to Silkalns, who drove to the net from the right circle. Silkalns’ power move was stopped, but the rebound bounced to Gault, who elevated a shot over the shoulder of Musser from in tight.
The Tommies equalized a handful of minutes into the period, capitalizing on an NMU turnover in the neutral zone. Ryan O’Neill took the wayward pass and found Sterzer breaking in unattended to down the left circle, who beat Gramme to the far side.
Gault nearly recorded added his second of the night, as a quick release just nicked off the crossbar.
It was the Wildcats turn to take advantage of a St. Thomas turnover, as Burchill was in the right spot to collect a puck that jumped over the stick of an Tommie defenseman. Burchill had to be quick, but got a breakaway from the redline in, and shot a decisive backhand over the stick-side shoulder of Musser.
Bettens made a great spinning pass in his own zone to Clark, who smartly jumped into a rush with Gault, who skated down on a two-on-one the other way. Clark played a pass to Gault in the left faceoff dot, who collected the pass and fired a wicked wrist shot to the short side of Musser, beating the goalie and extending the Wildcat lead.
Nick Williams won a battle along the half wall, and Jake Branccini gathered the puck in the left circle. The center played a cross-crease pass to a pinching defenseman Hundley, who found a way to sneak the puck past Gramme after he slid across and stopped a majority of the shot.
The Tommies broke through on the power play after a minute and a half of good killing from the Wildcats. Williams and C. Laylin moved the puck around the perimeter and fed Gaffney on the left-hand side, who walked into the circle and fired a wrist shot over the pad and under the glove on the far side.
Gault nearly scored his hat-trick goal on the power play, cleanly beating the goaltender and ringing the crossbar on the far side.
The Tommies completed an improbable comeback, as Wahlin found a loose puck in the slot and scored the game-winning goal with one second left to play.
Up Next
The Wildcats enter the holiday break and return to action in the new year, when the team travels to Lake Superior State on January 3 and 4, 2026.
