NMU Hockey falls to Lake State

Courtesy of NMU Athletics

MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan University hockey team lost the first game of the Cappo Cup series against Lake Superior State 5-3 at the Berry Events Center Friday.

The loss drops NMU to 11-16-2 overall with a 9-11-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association record. Lake Superior State improved to 14-14-1 with a 10-11-1 league mark.

“I was disappointed in some of our focus and some of the things that we did, its not the time of the year to be making some of the mistakes we are making,” said NMU head coach Walt Kyle. “You have to give Lake Superior State credit they forced us and they did a great job.”

NMU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period when junior forward Reed Seckel and junior defenseman Mitch Jones scored even-strength goals. Seckel scored at the 3:58 mark on assists from senior forward Stephan Vigier and junior defenseman Luke Eibler.

Jones then scored at the 8:34 mark when he took a feed from freshman defenseman Brock Maschmeyer and Vigier.

Lake Superior evened the game by scoring two goals before the end of the first period when Colin Campbell scored at the 11:26 mark and Gus Correale scored at the 13:20 mark.

The Lakers struck first in the second period when Stephen Perfetto scored at the 2:05 mark of the period to put LSSU up 3-2.

Vigier evened the score at 3-3 just 16-seconds later when he finished a goal from freshman forward Shane Sooth and senior forward Erik Higby.

Lake Superior State took a 4-3 lead when Mitchell Nardi scored on assists from Ian Miller and Gus Correale at the 8:14 mark.

The Lakers carried their 4-3 lead into the third period but added an insurance goal when Bryce Schmitt scored at the 11:02 mark of the third on a feed from Chris Ciotti and Zach Loesch to set the final tally at 5-3.

Lake Superior State put 38 shots on goal to the Wildcats 35. Freshman goalie Mathias Dahlstrom made 33 saves in net for NMU moving to 10-14-2 with the loss. Kevin Murdock picked up the win for the Lakers with 32 saves.

NMU was 0-3 on the power play while Lake Superior State was 1-3.

Vigier led all players with three points in the contest (1g, 2 a). Junior forward Ryan Daugherty, Vigier and Jones led NMU with five shots on goal each.

Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State will decide the Cappo Cup and their WCHA series at 7:07 p.m. Saturday at the Berry Events Center.